- Social Innovation Fellowship
Concentration
Award Year
Kenya
Kulisha aims to revolutionize fish feed. While the global aquaculture industry is booming and increasing food security, conventional fish feed for these aquaculture farms is dominated by unsustainable practices that destroy marine and rainforest habitat and harm fishing communities. Additionally, the commercial feed available in Kenya is inaccessible to most rural farmers, requiring them to make their own which is inefficient and nutritionally inadequate. Kulisha, named after the Swahili verb “to feed,” will partner with communities in Kenya to produce a low-cost, high-quality fish feed made from insects.
I'm from Costa Rica, and my parents own a restaurant there with a commitment to community impact and social justice. Growing up, I thought and talked a lot about food: where it comes from, where it goes, how it gets there, what's in it, who buys it, who prepares it, and who gets to eat it. I continued asking and exploring these questions throughout high school and at Brown, delving deeper into the issues of climate change, environmental justice, and how they intersect with food. I started considering not only who gets to eat at the table, but who sets the table.
The climate is changing, population is growing, and food security will only become a more pressing concern. Lives are on the line. I believe in the potential of aquaculture and I want to ensure that its development is not at odds with the wellbeing of our ecosystems and communities. I see our venture not only as bolstering the local economy of Kenya, but as a step towards a more sustainable world of closed-loop systems and positive externalities giving rise to more positive externalities. effectively