Fish Protein Startup Boosts Nutrition in Rwanda

Triumvirate Food, a youth-founded Rwandan food startup, has expanded beyond selling dried fish to producing an innovative fish protein supplement for young children. In Rwanda, where one in three children under five (nearly 800,000) are stunted (UNICEF), this locally made nutrition supplement offers a much needed protein boost for optimal physical and cognitive development.

Known as the “land of a thousand hills,” Rwanda has a landscape characterized by lush highland rainforests (like a tropical Alps), with terrace agriculture along the hillsides. Coffee, tea, and tobacco are the main export crops, while bananas, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sorghum, and beans are grown for domestic use and comprise the bulk of the Rwandan diet.

Lake Kivu, located at the western border, is a vital source of water for the country and home to a minnow-sized indigenous fish, sambaza, that captured the attention of entrepreneur Amani Twagirayezu. Having delivered fish to local fresh markets as a high schooler to help support his family, Twagirayezu saw the potential of extending the reach of this nutritious food by improving its shelf life.

Studying agribusiness and rural development at the University of Rwanda gave Twagirayezu the know-how to establish Triumvirate Food as a dried fish producer. And receiving support from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity (implemented by Land O’Lakes Venture37), has helped him increase capacity and develop a plan to pursue the protein supplement opportunity.

With the grant, the company has been able to train employees in the production of the protein supplement—a fish powder that parents can mix into their child’s porridge—and purchase equipment for washing raw fish, a milling machine, and ovens with moisture indicators.

Moisture is a critical control point in Triumvirate Food’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan. The fish are dried to 65% moisture, milled, and then further dried to less than 20% moisture before vacuum-packing, ensuring a six-month shelf life. Additionally, the company sends the fish powder to a third-party lab for nutrition, contaminant, and pathogen testing.

Support in training suppliers, which consist of fish co-ops (about 80% women-owned) near Lake Kivu, has been valuable in strengthening the supply chain and ensuring quality, while market testing has been useful in understanding sensory preferences. Results showed children liked the taste of their porridge with the fish supplement added and tended to eat more. The product was also popular with family members, who enjoyed it as a seasoning on their regular meals, which include green banana or potato with cassava leaves or amaranth.

Looking ahead, Twagirayezu plans to expand his marketing efforts with radio ads, complete the Rwanda Standards Board food safety certification requirements (which will increase market access), explore selling to early childhood development centers and international aid programs like the World Food Programme, and assess sales opportunities in other African markets, including Kenya and Burundi.ft