Closing Loops, Feeding Futures.
Transforming Food Systems, One Black Soldier Fly Container Farm at a Time.
About Philafeed
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.
Today, Philafeed brings this vision to life through three core offerings: The Philapod, app and training program.
Our Team
Founder & CEO
Maya Zaken
Head of business developments, and fundraising.
Founder & COO
Jason Fine
Head of business operations, and sales.
Our Approach
Our philosophy is rooted in simplicity, local adaptability, ecological sustainability, and practical knowledge-sharing.
We believe that anyone, from smallholder farmers to local waste producers, should be able to harness the incredible power of the black soldier fly.
By keeping our model low-tech, modular, and easy to replicate, we make circular food systems accessible to all, not just those with big budgets or high-tech expertise.
Our decentralized, community-focused approach uses containerized PhilaPods that are designed to:
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Minimize food waste at the source
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Circulate nutrients locally, keeping value within the community
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Diversify income streams for farmers and waste producers alike
Above all, we believe that when people can see and manage these natural cycles themselves, they become active stewards of the land, building resilience, regenerating soils, and feeding both people and the planet.
Our Services
PhilaPod
Our flagship PhilaPod is a modular, containerised black soldier fly farm that turns food waste into sustainable insect protein and frass, right at the source. Designed to be simple, low-tech, and adaptable, it empowers communities to close the loop locally. vertical and can be off-grid.
Training Program
Our team has designed a theoretical and practical, hands-on learning that empowers new farmers and communities to run their own black soldier fly systems with confidence.
App
Our custom-built tool that helps track waste flows, monitor production, and measure impact for truly connected, circular operations.
Testimonial
The team at Philafeed were an absolute pleasure to work with - putting positive human relationships at the centre of their offering.
They welcomed us onto their farm to showcase their black soldier fly technology, helped to adapt the tech to our specific use-case, procured and implemented the product with utmost professionalism and provided a comprehensive training to the operating team. The full package!
We can't wait to see their offering scaled across the country, as the PhilaPod is truly the perfect solution for decentralised organic waste processing.
Contact us at ICLEI Africa, if you'd like to see the system in action at the Potsdam Sustainability Campus, Cape Town.
Amy Murgatroyd, ICLEI Africa
Why Black Soldier Flies?
The first time we heard about Black Soldier Flies, we thought, “Black Soldier WHAT?”
But once we discovered how these little insects turn food waste into sustainable protein and rich fertilizer, all while helping fight climate change, we were hooked. They’re nature’s ultimate recyclers, and they’re at the heart of everything we do.
Click below to see why we love them (and why you might too)!
