Cameroon - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

POME refers to Palm Oil Mill Effluent, commonly called palm oil sludge. Meanwhile. BSF stands for Black Soldier Flies. This business idea seek to utilise POME for growing BSF larvae as feed for the livestock industry.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

This projects seek to render solution to the increasing demand for protein source in livestock diets. It exploits the POME wast of palm oil industry for the breading and production of BSF larvae, which is very rich in protein content. Due to food-feed competition, feed constituents that are suitable for livestock consumption such as soybean and fish meal are expensive and collectively increase the costs of feed. In addition, global catches from the marine fish stocks have dwindled over the years due to over exploitation. This increases the price of fishmeal, which is not only used in feeding livestock but also competing with humans. Moreover, the intensification of soybean production, especially in the tropics, resulted in land grabbing and deforestation in addition to other negative social and environmental consequences. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to replace conventional feed ingredients with a more sustainable and less cost effective one.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

This business idea solves problems both in the palm oil industry and the livestock industry. In the Palm oil industry, it eradicates a global waste which is a major pollutant and emitter of green house gas (methane and carbon dioxide). It equally solves the odour emmition problem witness by surrounding communities where these oil mills releases their waste. Where this palm oil mills are situated along streams or water ways, the entire aquatic environment is greatly altered. In the livestock sector, it solves the high pressure emancipated on existing protein sources, which are also in great competition with human. These two major protein sources being fishmeal and soya beans, are very costly and turn to create further environmental problems when embarking on large scale production. For instance, large scale supply of fish meal result in overexploitation and extinction of some fish species while extensive soya beans farming promote deforestation. Increase feed costs emanate from this.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The BSF larvae has the ability in growing and doing well in agricultural waste. These larvae requires less space as comparebto soya beans. Infact, half hectare of land utilise for this larvae production will yield more than enough protein that can be generated by 10 hectare of soya beans farming. Secondly, the duration for this larvae to get ready and be use as a protein source is very short as compel to soya beans and fish meal. The BSF larvae production process can easily be learnt and practice by any life stock farmer regardless of their levels education. It can be done even without consuming all of ones time and attention Again this larvae are produced at very little or no cost, making it able to beat out other protein sources and reduces the high cost of livestock diets.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

1) The livestock farmers ranging from those involved in # poultry farming, # fish farming # piggery etc 2) It will equally serve the palm oil mill industries, as this will provide lasting solutions to the current environmental challenge they are faced with.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2019-02-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

## The first partner holds advanced level certificate and has been working in a local small oil mill for over five years now. ## The second partner recently wrote her advanced level examination this year and has also been a part time worker in the small local oil mill

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

l) Agriculture

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

It creates a room for almost all individuals, non sex selective, is an income generating venture with high market demand.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

These business idea will greatly expand the livestock sector leading to increase in global food supply.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Livestock industry are major supplier of animals protein to mankind. Protein is equally a major nutritional constituent for human growth and health. An advance business idea like this one can only guarantee the well being of humans, as it makes use POME which is an environmental pollutant to humans and surrounding ecosystem.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

This business idea creates room for multiple income generating sources. Empowering livestock farmers and others involved in the business to generate sufficient profits to sponsor not only their immediate families but extended as well. The business doesn't hinder but rather promotes education extensively

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

On like other business ventures that are often gender selective, this business idea is non selective, time convenient and even married women restricted from working out of their home especially in developing countries can venture into these in their surrounding backyard

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

This projects seeks to eradicates POME from the environment by turning this agricultural waste into greater use. It should be noted that most recent oil mills are located along streams or water ways where they empty this waste. However, Palm oil plantations lead to sedimentation and agricultural runoff into streams and rivers. Such high nutrient inputs could lead to eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and toxic blooms, which could lead to changes in aquatic ecosystems as well as drinking water quality for surrounding communities. The eradication of this POME will therefore help greatly in providing clean water and sanitation. Secondly the bi-product obtained after producing the BSF larvae is purely a rich fine natural fertiliser call frass, which has no chemical content nor is it toxic to land.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

6

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

The production of BSF larvae requires no combosion or utilisation of engines or machines that release green house gases. This rather involved a more simple and direct feeding without any multi-complex procedures. In agro-scale operation automatic feeders deploying hydro electric power is much effective as it will generate zero emissions

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

This businesses idea will contribute to the economy of a country and promote economic growth as it creates jobs, generating income, creat communities and economic independence, optimise the use of resources and driving innovation. It will increase economic performance by bringing new products, methods, and production processes to the market and by boosting productivity and competition more broadly.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

The entire process of producing larvae from insects has been a major interest in the world in recent time. Current and existing producers are facing challenges in operating at large scale due to insignificant amounts of the various substrates they utilise. The POME is therefore an entirely new innovation that will give room for industrial expansion and infrastructural development. Alot of innovation and Ideas will be born out once the POME is utilise

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

This projects reduces inequalities especially as there is huge dependent on import of fishmeal and soya beans. Moreso soya beans is climatic selective and does well only in setting areas whereas BSF larvae can grow vastly in different geographical region creating regional balance. Thesame is true for fish meal which required skillful and high capital equipment thus only produces by countries that can afford to sponsor this sector, moreso, Landlock countries have little or insignificant inland water to effectively extract fishmeal. This therefore makes this country entirely dependent on coastal nations as a major source of fishmeal supply. But this limitations are entirely wipe out by BSF larvae production

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

This project has no environmental effect, does not interfere with any local or global values, custom, laws, etc. it is aimed solving existing global problems and therefore will be wholeheartedly embrace as the POME regarded as a major pollutant becames a major feed in the insect industry thereby keeping the cities/ communities free from pollution.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Firstly, it is of great interest that the BSF larvae is not a carrier of disease or any pathogen. This makes it a suitable insect to utilise in obtaining protein for livestock industry which latter satisfy humans protein needs. Again this insects provides a continuous supply meeting the high demand for protein in livestock diets

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

BSF larvae solves the problem created by POME on the global climate. The process of producing this BSF Larvae itself produces no bi-product that generate any green house gas nor does it required large deforested area for it operation

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

This projects seeks to eradicates POME from the environment by turning this agricultural waste into greater use. It should be noted that most recent oil mills are located along streams or water ways where they empty this waste. However, Palm oil plantations lead to sedimentation and agricultural runoff into streams and rivers. Such high nutrient inputs could lead to eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and toxic blooms, which could lead to changes in aquatic ecosystems as well as drinking water quality for surrounding communities. The eradication of this POME will therefore help greatly in providing clean water and sanitation, again the sole bi-product obtained from this insect farming is pure frass, which is a natural and Zero toxic fertilizer not harmful when expose to water bodies

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

Palm oil sludge or POME is one of the bi-products from the processing of oil palm fruits and they are discharged as wastes to arable land. This has been a continuous exercise among many palm oil processing industries over the years. However, POME is a pollutant to the environment due to the offensive odour or as a contaminant resulting from the volumes it discharges to the environment. This often damages the soil and retard plant growth. One of the purpose of this business idea is to eradicate this problem by obtaining this agro waste without it being exposed to the environment. Moreso, after this POME is consume by BSF larvae the bi- Product of this larvae are a resultant rich fine waste material called Frass, used as fertiliser. This frass is an excellent, powerful natural fertiliser that add more value to soil

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

6

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

This project is has no environmental effect, does not interfere with any local or global values, custom, laws, etc. it is aimed solving existing global problems and therefore will be wholeheartedly embrace

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

This business idea can operate in various sizes depending on the nominal capital raise. It gives room for partnerships in large scale production involving global exportation of the produce to areas of deficient

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

2

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

3

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

5

05.08 Justification

There has been an open eye world wide on the importance of insects farming as major protein source, but this has met with a huge challenges of determining a huge amount of readily available substrate to breed BSF larvae on. Most of which make use of restaurant waste, chicken droplets, pig dump etc, whose quantity is insufficient and can't be used to meet global supply of protein. This work seek to eradicate this problem by utilising waste from the palm oil industry (POME). Moreso, utilising this substrate(POME) gives room even for global scale production there by solving the problem put in place by other sources of protein.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

My main potential competitors are soya beans farmers and fish meal farmers. However, the cost effectiveness in producing BSF larvae gives me an upper hand to beat them out of the market. Secondly the production time for BSF is very short compared to soya beans and fish meal that takes several months. Again little or no capital equipment are use in the production process of these larvae whereas advance and expensive farming machinery are employed by my competitors, making their protein sources expensive

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

## Yes I own a small local oil mill with over 80 percent of the workers made of female internal displaced person, who ran from war and settled in my region.