Shobhita Soor- Success with Palm Weevil Larvae

Shobhita Soor- Success with Palm Weevil Larvae. Meet Ghana’s foodpreneur who is making nutritious, affordable palm weevil larvae accessible across West Africa. Shobhita Soor, the founder of Legendary Foods in Kumasi, is addressing the continent’s rising protein demands with her commercial farm.

Shobhita Soor- Success with Palm Weevil Larvae

Through this innovative insect farming model, she provides a year-round source of protein that is both nutritious and affordable. Soor’s larvae offer essential amino acids, healthy fats, vitamin B12, and minerals like zinc, iron, potassium, and phosphorus. Basically, at a fraction of the cost of traditional meat sources. Moreover, given that protein deficiencies affect many rural communities, her work is especially impactful.

However, as Africa’s population grows, sustainable solutions to meet nutritional needs become increasingly critical. While livestock farming places strain on land and water resources, insect farming offers a lower environmental footprint. Palm weevil larvae, for example, can thrive on common agricultural byproducts like cassava peels, making them an efficient protein alternative. Soor’s journey into insect-based foods, or entomophagy, began in 2013 when she co-founded Aspire Food Group. Even so, winning the prestigious $1 million Hult Prize for their model to produce palm weevil larvae. This achievement sparked her dedication to enhancing food security in Ghana through insects. Nonetheless, in 2020, she established Legendary Foods as an independent venture, with Aspire as a minority shareholder. Today, Legendary Foods operates a commercial insect farm and the Akokono House restaurant. Most importantly, where Soor introduces customers to larvae-based products like snacks, sauces, and stews.

Pioneering Sustainable Nutrition in Ghana

Notably, in 2023, Legendary Foods won the top prize at the Sankalp Africa Summit Awards. In other words, Palm weevil larvae offer an outstanding opportunity for both nutrition and business in Ghana. Unlike costly animal proteins, these larvae are locally produced and scalable to meet the rising demand. Notwithstanding, Minimal infrastructure is required for harvesting. Primarily, enabling small-scale farmers especially women facing economic barriers to earn income. Soor emphasizes that “insects allow us to build sustainable protein production systems that are realistic and relevant in the African context.” Additionally, communities can easily produce a highly nutritious product that fits within their cultural food practices.

Shobhita Soor- Success with Palm Weevil Larvae continues to challenge the stigma around entomophagy and viability of insect protein businesses in Ghana. Finally, as climate and population pressures grow, forward-thinking food leaders like Soor are pioneering more sustainable food systems across Africa.