Olympia Yarger

Olympia is the founder of agritech startup Goterra, Olympia is an insect farming pioneer and has developed an innovative waste management system that uses maggots to process food waste and reduce greenhouse gases. Her ‘Maggot Robot’ system houses larvae of the black soldier fly inside portable units. Food waste is fed to the maggots and, similar to a worm farm, the larvae’s excretions become fertiliser. The maggots themselves become protein-rich feed for livestock and aquaculture. Olympia and her team have developed a Modular Infrastructure for Biological Services powered by robots. It has prevented more than 1 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere. She was the 2023 Australian Capital Territory Australian of the Year