Ashraf El Sharkaway is the owner of Proteina Feeds, a company from Egypt offering sustainable solutions for farmers and animal food systems, and ensuring food security for future generations. With the support of the EBRD the European Union (EU), Proteina is expanding its insect-based protein and gearing up to revolutionise the pet food industry.

Through Proteina, Ashraf and his team are tackling a critical environmental challenge: waste management. The company’s mission extends beyond animal feed, aiming to revolutionise how Egypt handles its organic waste. By implementing innovative recycling techniques, they are working to teach farmers how to recycle food waste and reduce landfill usage while maximising resource recovery. Their efforts culminated in the launch of their sister company Proteina Organics, last year. The venture aims the goal to establish Egypt’s first large-scale state-of-the-art black soldier fly larvae production facility.

Creating a habitat for the larvae nevertheless proved difficult, as they require stable climatic conditions. With support from the EBRD’s international expertise in sustainable climate control, Proteina developed its first production facility featuring an innovative water-based cooling system. The company is now working toward reaching full capacity, with the goal of upcycling 15 tons of waste daily. Building on their success, Ashraf and his team identified the petfood market as a promising opportunity to capitalise on their innovative protein and enter the local market. With EBRD and EU support, Proteina is expanding its value chain and producing an organic pet food product made from sustainable insect protein.