19 May 2026

A pioneering business idea which uses fly larvae to produce sustainable, protein-rich, food for livestock, as well as organic fertilizer for crops, has won this year’s Grand Idea competition at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).

Kenyan Masters student Ian Muthumbi beat four other finalists to win the top prize of £5,000 in the University’s annual Dragon’s Den style competition with his sustainable waste-to-value enterprise Dudufeed which will build resilient and cost-efficient agrifood systems.

Ian, who comes from Nairobi, joined the RAU in January to study for a Masters’ degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security having completed an undergraduate degree in Agribusiness Management at Kenyatta University in his native Kenya.

He explained: “We gather waste from our family pig farm, and organic waste from local markets and restaurants, and allow it to decompose before feeding it to the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly. The larvae are then harvested and sterilised to make a protein-rich feed animal feed.

“The feed is suitable for farm livestock like pigs and cows and also for chicken and fish. In turn, the process also creates frass, an organic nitrogenous fertiliser made from the faeces of the larvae, which can then be used on crops.”

As well as supporting sustainable agriculture and helping to reduce the risk of pollution from organic waste, Ian’s business also helps to reduce the costs of livestock feed.

Ian said: “Globally, pork is the second most consumed meat after poultry and pig production is one of the fastest growing livestock sectors. Feed comprises between 60 and 70% of the total costs in intensive pig production and protein is the most expensive dietary component.

“Traditional protein sources, such as soybean, are increasingly unavailable and are expensive for pig producers, and waste management is also a significant challenge in pig production, so this will help farmers in many different ways.”

Part of the University’s Ignite Enterprise Programme, and now in its 19th year, the RAU’s Grand Idea competition invites RAU students to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts in a Dragon’s Den-style event.

This year’s Grand Idea judging panel comprised retail consultant and RAU Honorary Fellow Christine Cross; Former Dragon’s Den contestant, food entrepreneur, and RAU Honorary Fellow Levi Roots; multi award-winning PR adviser and brand, marketing, and social media expert Rhea Freeman; Alex Crawley, RAU alumnus (and previous Grand Idea runner up) and founder and co-director of Grazing Management Ltd; and RAU Finance Director Colin Carville.

Ian plans to use his winnings to scale his business up so that he can sell both the larvae feed and the organic fertiliser on to other farmers.

He added: “I only decided to enter the Grand Idea competition when I joined the RAU back in January of this year. The Enterprise offering at the RAU really caught my eye and the support and mentoring from Enterprise team has really helped me to focus my business.

“Winning the Grand Idea competition will be a great boost for my business. I have already started on a small scale on a pig farm back home in Kenya but, with this opportunity, my business can now really take off.”

Rural Land Management student Lewis Jackson, who is currently working on the placement year of his four-year course, was announced as runner up for his business Cavalier which produces high quality heritage knitwear using 100% British wool and low waste, localised production in Cumbria to reduce environmental impact and increase transparency.

Lewis, 21, from Stamford in Lincolnshire, said: “My Grand Idea entry was all a bit last minute! I’ve been planning my business for more than a year but I’ve spent the last seven months working in South Africa and trying to coordinate it all from the middle of the desert was quite tricky but the support from the RAU Enterprise team has been amazing!

“The original idea came to me because I had a lovely 100% wool jumper that I used to wear all the time. It was getting really old and worn and I really wanted to buy another one but I just couldn’t find one like it – so I decided to make one and it sort of went on from there!

“The whole Grand Idea experience has really concreted things in my head and all the support and feedback I’ve had has been so helpful. I really was not expecting anything and I feel very honoured to have been named as runner up as all the entries were such amazing ideas.”

Lewis’s £500 runner up prize money will allow him to buy materials and machinery to be able to process the raw wool himself and increase production and he hopes to be selling his products by the end of the year.

Christine Cross, who chaired the judging panel, said: “The diversity of businesses and future owners in this year’s Grand Idea almost had us flawed but, in the end, there were two that stood out from the rest, and one that we felt resonated with everything the RAU and its values stand for.

“We are incredibly privileged to live and work in this country but we know that, even here in the UK, food is unaffordable for many. This is even more the case in Kenya and our winner Ian showed a passion, motivation, and plan to help start to solve this problem.

“Meanwhile, our runner-up Lewis embodied everything that is good about provenance and local sourcing. We are all so pleased to support both Ian and Lewis and we look forward to watching and helping their businesses grow.”

Alongside the Grand Idea prize funding for their businesses, both Ian and Lewis will also continue to receive guidance and business coaching through the RAU Ignite Enterprise Programme to further develop their businesses.

Also receiving awards on the night were third year Rural Land Management student Verity Sellers who was announced as this year's Student Social Enterprise Champion for her involvement in the RAU's Cotswold Hills wine enterprise, and Grand Idea judge Rhea Freeman who won the award for Outstanding Contribution to the RAU Enterprise programme for her ongoing support of the programme.