Simple Is Better When Appropriate: An Innovative Approach to Biowaste Treatment Using Wild Black Soldier Fly

Abstract

The acknowledgement that “technology is not a panacea” creates opportunities to dialog about appropriate technologies that keep the local context at the forefront of deriving solutions. The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) biowaste treatment method offers one such opportunity, and its simplistic adaptation is critical in locations with waste collection and management challenges. In this chapter, the importance of local context on viable waste solutions will be discussed with the applicability of appropriate technology strategies. First, the Black Soldier Fly waste treatment method will be distinguished as an appropriate technology for low-income communities. Then, a brief history of the nascent BSF method will be traced, followed by the production scales favored by world regions. Finally, an open BSF bioreactor case study will be introduced and analyzed.