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Case Study

The new protein buzz: Can Legendary Foods Africa feed the world with insects

By Sophie Bacq, Valerie Keller-Birrer and Ruth Shalom Kinyua

16 pages

May 2025

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Reference: IMD-7-2632

The case describes Legendary Foods Africa, a food-tech company founded in 2020 in Ghana by Canadian entrepreneur Shobhita Soor. Legendary Foods Africa is focused on farming, processing and selling palm weevil larvae products for human consumption. Palm weevil larvae, a traditional local food, are rich in protein, healthy fats and essential nutrients. The company’s mission is to provide affordable, sustainable and nutritious protein to local populations of West and Central Africa. Legendary Foods Africa uses innovative vertical farming techniques to cultivate larvae year-round. This method avoids having to rely on deforestation; in this way it provides efficient production with a minimal environmental footprint. The larvae are sold fresh or frozen as a meat and fish substitute but are also processed into protein-rich products like chili sauce and cookies, offering shelf-stable options for a wider audience. Four years after launch, the company had grown into a 70-person operation and was about to become profitable. Soor was considering various expansion strategies that included growing into new African and Asian markets, broadening the product range and shifting toward a business-to-business sales model. The company would need additional capital to scale production for its expansion plans.

Learning Objective

To understand the operations and challenges of social enterprises.
Navigating cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations in diverse markets.
Balancing economic performance with social impact and sustainability.
Evaluating strategies for sustainable growth through expansion and diversification.
Overcoming scaling challenges like consumer scepticism and operational constraints.

Keywords

Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Social Innovation, Hunger Elimination, Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Insect Farming, Scaling, Expansion, Impact Measurement, Cultural Challenges, Stakeholder Management

Settings

Africa, Ghana
Legendary Foods Africa, Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
2020-2024

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

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Teaching note

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