Tawonga Nyirenda:Turning organic waste into valuable resource

Agriculture is Malawi’s main economic stay which continues to attract innovations to improve productivity and food security. Apart from technology capitalising on agricultural mechanisation to achieve food productivity, there is a young woman in Lilongwe, Tawonga Nyirenda, who has taken a different route to make a difference in the country’s agricultural sector. She has embraced an innovation called Black Soldier Fly to make affordable nutritious feed for livestock and fertiliser.

Tawonga, 34, is founder and managing director of SeedBiz, a company located in Area 38 (along the By-pass road) in Lilongwe, which is transforming organic waste into livestock feed and fertiliser. Basically, Black Soldier Fly innovation collects and turns waste into biomass that is 40-50 percent protein and 35 percent fat. This is used to feed different livestock such as poultry, pigs and fish.

The by-product is called frass, an organic fertiliser which is an input used by small holder farmers to improve their crop yields and restore soil health. “What makes our innovation unique is that it is a community-led circular economy model,” said Tawonga. She founded SeedBiz in 2022 and formally registered it in 2023.

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She said her inspiration came from high cost of livestock feed which was affecting many farmers and their economic activities. “Having witnessed how high livestock feed costs were limiting farmers’ ability to earn sustainable profits, I realised that unless production costs were reduced, many farmers would struggle to maintain their livelihoods. This motivated me to create a solution that not only provides affordable, high-quality feed, but also turns organic waste into a valuable resource, supporting farmers, creating jobs and contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable environment,” she said.

Since 2023, Tawonga said, SeedBiz has been operating at the intersection of food security, climate action and circular waste management; transforming organic waste into sustainable livestock feed using Black Soldier Fly larvae. Tawonga described the reception of the Black Soldier Fly innovation as positive. “To date, we have served over 200 farmers, supporting improved livestock productivity and environmentally responsible farming practices. SeedBiz has created 12 jobs in management, waste collection and feed production, while also generating indirect income opportunities across the agricultural value chain,” she said.

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