Faculty of Food and Agriculture researcher Rakesh Bhukal uses native black soldier flies to reshape sustainable agriculture and organic waste management
When most people think of flies, they think of buzzing, annoying household pests. But this insect with well over 120,000 species plays a valuable ecological role. One type in particular is showing great promise for sustainable agriculture and organic waste management: Hermetia illucens, the black soldier fly. And its many uses are being researched by UWI St Augustine Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) PhD student Rakesh Bhukal.
Bhukal’s research harnesses the larvae of native black soldier flies (BSF) to consume organic waste and create “high protein larval biomass and nutrient-rich biofertiliser”. Essentially, they eat waste and produce livestock feed and plant fertiliser.
“BSF larvae’s voracious appetite enables rapid bioconversion of various organic waste streams—including animal manure, vegetable waste, food/restaurant waste, and Sargassum seaweed— into valuable protein for livestock and aquaculture feed, in addition to a highly nutritious biofertiliser which reduces dependence on expensive synthetic fertilisers while improving soil health,” he says.
Bhukal calls his pioneering approach “circular bio- economy”, focusing on resource efficiency by turning waste into valuable inputs, reducing dependence on imports, and fostering environmental sustainability. Previously, he was covered in the May 2023 issue of UWI TODAY for his aquaponics research and commercial enterprise, combining aquaculture and hydroponics by using wastewater from fish in a recirculating system as nutrients for plants.
“Bio-economics contrasts with traditional linear systems that generate waste and deplete resources,” he says. “Adopting a circular bio-economy is critical for the Caribbean to build climate resilience, enhance food sovereignty, and stimulate sustainable economic growth.”
Another important aspect of Bhukal’s research is the use of native instead of imported black soldier flies. He captures them locally and optimises their production in captivity. Using native flies, he says, “is advantageous due to their better adaptation to the Caribbean climate and ecosystems, which enhances efficiency, survivability, and ecological balance”. This approach also reduces invasive species risk and preserves local biodiversity.
So far, Bhukal’s preliminary trials have shown the potential of the black soldier fly. Work with Sargassum seaweed for example is currently being undertaken, with optimisation and research continuing in areas such as salt management, pre-processing and heavy metal accumulation. These early results, he says, hint at a practical pathway to turn an environmental problem into a valuable by-product using a nature-based solution.
In fact, he believes that this research has the potential to transform sustainability efforts in the region, significantly reducing organic waste accumulation, producing high-protein animal feed at lower costs, generating biofertiliser alternatives to expensive synthetics, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water use, and fostering agri-entrepreneurship and job creation.
This research is part of a Food and Agriculture Organisation-led (FAO) initiative to advance BSF farming across the Caribbean for livestock and aquaculture feed working with T&T’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and The UWI. Bhukal was instrumental in establishing the Caribbean’s first BSF production facility at The UWI Field Station using native flies under a FFA project. This UWI Insect Bioreactor (IBR) continues applied research with recent postgraduate projects exploring BSF-based broiler and aquaculture feed trials using Bhukal’s native BSF strain.
And he has moved from researcher to educator. Bhukal developed a Black Soldier Fly Production training course, soon to be offered through the FFA’s Business Development Unit, to enable farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to acquire hands-on skills. He is also lead facilitator for the Agriculture Ministry’s “Train-the-Trainers Workshop”, helping to develop expertise in the public sector.
His work is not limited to T&T. He also spearheaded the establishment of the first BSF production colony at UWI Cavehill in Barbados. The colony will soon be incorporated into the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security in Barbados’s pilot BSF production facility. Additionally, Bhukal has made a significant contribution to the Black Soldier Fly Knowledge HUB, a UWI/FAO digital platform that provides information to BSF farmers across the Caribbean.
Incredibly driven, Rakesh Bhukal describes his research as revolutionary.
“By leveraging native flies, integrating with aquaculture, aquaponics and poultry production, and promoting a circular bio-economy, this project offers scalable, impactful solutions to regional challenges—ushering in a new era of resilient, resource- efficient farming for the future,” he says.
One day soon, flies may no longer be viewed as pests, but as a powerful and cost-effective solution to some of the Caribbean’s sustainability challenges.
Rakesh Bhukal’s PhD thesis is titled “Developing a Circular Bio-economy Model Using Native Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens): A Nature-Based Solution for Organic Waste Management and Sustainable Food Systems in Trinidad, WI.”
For more information on the research at the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, visit https://sta.uwi.edu/ffa/
