Closing Loops, Feeding Futures.
Transforming Food Systems, One Black Soldier Fly Container Farm at a Time.
Welcome to Philafeed! We are Maya Zaken and Jason Fine, two passionate founders who fell in love with the concept of black soldier fly farming in 2022.
Our journey began with a shared vision: to harness the incredible potential of black soldier flies to create a circular food economy.
This isn’t just a business for us; it’s a mission to reconnect communities with the food waste cycle and create sustainable, small-scale, decentralized hubs that benefit both people and the planet.
Together, we have spent over two years gaining hands-on experience in the black soldier fly industry, specializing in small-scale production. In 2024, we decided to adopt a container facility model to further our decentralized approach.
With guidance from our industry partners at GenBioSol, who bring in-depth knowledge of black soldier fly farming and technological expertise, we have developed a comprehensive, low-tech solution that is adaptable, sustainable, and scalable.
Founder & CEO
Maya Zaken
Head of business developments, and fundraising.
Founder & COO
Jason Fine
Head of business operations, and sales.
Where We Are Now
We are currently in the exciting phase of setting up our pilot project. We are bringing our vision to life on Waterfall Farm in Citrusdal, just 2 and a half hours out of Cape Town.
This pilot involves establishing our first PhilaPod - a 1.5 tonne waste processing capacity facility. Additionally, we are launching our first egg production project, utilizing black soldier fly (BSF) larvae as a sustainable feed option. This initiative enables us to create a complete circular food loop.
To support these initiatives, we have developed an app with that allows us to virtually manage our containers, collect vital data, and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Once we have set up the pilot and collected sufficient data, we will be ready to scale and expand our operations.
While we are in this foundational stage, we are actively inviting people to connect with us, establish relationships, and explore future collaborations. We believe in the power of community and look forward to partnering with those who share our vision for a sustainable and circular food ecosystem.
Our Approach
Our philosophy is rooted in simplicity, adaptability, ecological sustainability, community involvement, and knowledge sharing. We believe that a holistic, replicable model can create substantial positive impacts in local communities by transforming food waste into valuable resources.
Our decentralized, community-focused approach utilizes containerized solutions that are designed to:
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Minimise food waste,
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Diversify revenue streams for farmers.
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Circulate local nutrients, ensuring that the benefits stay within the community and support sustainable agricultural practices.