Amman: Jordanian engineer Mohammed Mustafa Basheer has won the 2025 Transformative Research Challenge at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) World Food Forum (WFF).
According to Jordan News Agency, Agricultural Attach© at the Jordanian Embassy in Rome, Ibtihal Al-Khraisha, highlighted that Basheer’s project addresses the significant challenges faced by fish farmers in the Middle East and North Africa. These challenges include the high cost of feed and environmental pollution caused by aquaculture waste.
Al-Khraisha explained that Basheer’s project offers an innovative circular solution by converting fish farm waste and organic refuse into valuable resources. This is achieved through the use of black soldier fly larvae, which consume the waste and transform it into a high-quality protein meal within seven to ten days. This protein meal serves as an alternative to fishmeal in feed, while the residual waste is turned into organic fertilizer.
Al-Khraisha noted that the project results demonstrate that each ton of waste can produce 300 kilograms of protein and 200 kilograms of fertilizer, reducing waste volume by 57 percent. Additionally, the project achieves a cost recovery period of six to twelve months, lowers the carbon footprint, and preserves marine life, water, and land resources. This contributes to enhanced food security and supports sustainable agricultural development.