Insect farming

Technology
Technology details
Name:	Insect farming
Category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
Feedstock:	Food waste, garden & park waste
Product:	Insect protein, fertilizer, insects for biological pest control or crop pollination, silk, dyes, pharmceutical, ingredients for cosmetic and other uses

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus – edible larvae of Red Palm Weevil

Insect farming involves breeding, rearing and harvesting insects for animal feed, human consumption, biological pest control, crop pollination, products like silk or dyes, pharmceutical, cosmetic and other uses. The diversity of insect species includes groups highly specialized in their ability to thrive on different organic substrates as food sources. Some of these substrates resemble food wastes form agriculture and food processing industries. This is also referred to as insect-based bioconversion and represents an economically and environmentally viable method for turning large quantities of food waste into valuable materials.

Skewered locusts in Donghuamen, Beijing, China

Feedstock

Origin and composition

Insects can be fed a mix of by- and co-products from the agri-food industries and with resources which are currently not being used and not or no longer destined for human consumption, such as the so-called 'former foodstuff'. The by- and co-products may also include those derived from grains, starch, fruit and vegetable supply chains (e.g., bran, distillers grain, unsold fruit and vegetables, including peels) as well as products arising from food manufacturing processes. Highly cellulosic diets are possible.

Vassileios Varelas describes the requirements of insect feed as follows: "In general, the major macronutrients required for insect mass production are (a) carbohydrates, which serve as an energy pool but are also required for configuration of chitin (exoskeleton of arthropods), (b) lipids (mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic), which are the main structural components of the cell membrane, and also store and supply metabolic energy during periods of sustained demands and help conserve water in the arthropod cuticle, and (c) the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, lysine, arginine, methionine, histidine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan, which insects cannot synthesize, and tyrosine, proline, serine, cysteine, glycine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid, which insects can synthesize, but in insufficient quantities at high energy consumption. The essential micronutrients in insect rearing are (a) sterols, which insects cannot synthesize, (b) vitamins, and (c) minerals."

Pre-treatment

The feedstock can be untreated by- or co-products from the agri-food industries or food wastes. Possible pre-treatments include, among others, pasteurisation, enzymatic digestion, addition of nutrients or dry yeast, pre-fermentation, drying and shredding. Microbial pre-fermentation can be used to stabilise the feedstock and increase food safety. It can also enhance the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients to the insect larvae as most nutrients present in agricultural residue or byproducts are found in insoluble form. Vassileios Varelas describes possible pre-treatments in relation to the texture of the feed and the feeding habits of the farmed insects: "Liquid diets can be used after encapsulation using different materials (paraffin, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene) to mimic artificial eggs, a treatment step needed for their containment and presentation, while liquids and slurries can be dried and concentrated so that [they] can be dissolved in water or mixed with other ingredients. Semi-liquids are used in pellet or extruded form which can be ingested by insects with biting mouthparts and also by insects with sucking mouthparts. Solids are presented as a feed mash with grinding and mixing of all raw materials, after pelleting of various raw materials or by extrusion. Solids can also be encapsulated with complex coacervation technology using proteins and polysaccharides."

Process and technologies

Process

Insect-based bioconversion of organic waste is the controlled breakdown of an initial feedstock (organic waste) into insect biomass and frass (waste residuals), with the latter consisting of predominantly insect frass and to a lesser extent, shed exoskeletons, dead insect parts, and potentially uneaten feedstock. The process of insect-based bioconversion mirrors the natural breakdown of organic matter in ecosystems. In such systems, naturally ocurring insects, earthworms, a wide range of other invertebrates, fungi, and bacteria colonize and break down waste, converting the nutrients for their own metabolic and reproductive needs.

Under controlled conditions, the species responsible for the decomposition process can be regulated and the ambient conditions can be optimised to favour the growth and bioconversion by the given species. As species there is a already a range of insects in place: mealworms, black soldier flies, termites ....

Products

Value may be produced at multiple steps in the bioconversion process. For instance, value can be gained from the elemination of the initial waste itself (disposal fees), sales of insect biomass for food and feed, sales of the living insects for various purposes, sales from fractionated secondary products (i.e., chitin, proteins, and lipids), and sales of the remaining bioconverted waste for soil amendments. Applications are very diverse, for example the use of the Tenebrio molitor mealworm to biodegrade polystyrene in the environment or the use of Lucilia sericata (common green bottlefly) as a biological indicator of post-mortem interval (PMI), in human pathology, while the allantoin secreted by Lucilia sericata larvae is used in the treatment of osteomyelitis.

Post-treatment

Common post-treatments are the extraction of compounds, such as proteins or lipids, and the some treatments that can prolong shelf-life of the product. As post-treatments of edible insects, Vassileios Varelas mentions fermentation, sizing, roasting, drying and acidification: "Fermentation of the produced edible insect orders to increase the product’s shelf-life and minimize the microbial risks for the consumers associated with edible insect consumption. Successful acidification and effectiveness in product’s safeguarding shelf-life and safety was achieved by the control of Enterobacteria and bacterial spores after lactic fermentation of flour/water mixtures with 10% or 20% powdered roasted mealworm larvae. Techniques such as drying, acidifying, and lactic fermentation can preserve edible insects and insect products without the use of a refrigerator."

Technology providers

Technology comparison

Company name	Country	Technology subcategory	Technology name	TRL	Capacity [kg/h]	Farming area [m2/organism]	Feedstock: Food waste	Feedstock: Garden & park waste
ALIA Insect Farm	Italy	-	Vertical insect farming	-	-	-
Beta Bugs	United Kingdom	-	-	-	-	-
Ecofly	Austria	-	-	9	-	-	●
Illucens	Germany	-	Vertical insect farming
Innovafeed	France	-	Vertical insect farming	9	-	25000
NextAlim	France	-	-	-	0.27	-
Protix	The Netherlands	-	-	-	-	-	●	●
Ynsect	France	-	Ynsect	8-9	-	-	●	●

ALIA Insect Farm

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	ALIA Insect Farm
Country:	Italy
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://aliainsectfarm.it
Technology and process details
Technology name:	Vertical insect farming	Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:		Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Acheta domesticus
		Other:	Vertical farming
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	Cricket powder from Acheta domesticus; protein content: 67 %

ALIA is an agricultural start-up, founded in 2020 and based in Italy, in Milan.  Alia Insect Farm is part of the Innovation Hub of Como Next, where it has an operational office. Multidisciplinary teams, with their skills and passion, have been working on this project for over two years: to give life to the first Italian Next Generation Farm for the production of Novel Food based on edible insects. Engineers, agronomists, veterinarians, food technologists, communication and legal experts are just some of the professional figures with whom Alia Insect Farm has started its challenge towards the ambitious goal: to obtain excellent food based on 100% Italian edible crickets, in compliance with maximum safety, quality and innovation. Alia Insect Farm currently only carries out research and development activities, while waiting for the Novel Food regulations to authorise the sale of these products in Europe and therefore also in Italy. Our mission is to provide the greatest number of people with innovative, quality food made from edible insects, spreading the culture of the benefits of entomophagy, as a new frontier of food, for the wellbeing of people and in respect of our planet.

Beta Bugs

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Beta Bugs
Country:	United Kingdom
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://www.betabugs.uk
Technology and process details
Technology name:		Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:		Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	Black Soldier Fly Breeds that improve your company's on-farm productivity

Beta Bugs was founded in 2017 with early-stage investment from Deep Science Ventures in London. Securing early-stage grant funding, the company relocated operations to the Easter Bush Campus, a world-leading agri-food research, work and study environment, just outside of Edinburgh, in 2019. In 2020, during the CoVID-19 lockdowns, we benefited from EIC Accelerator, Scottish Government and InnovateUK Transforming Food Production funding, turning a time of uncertainty and challenge into one of opportunity and growth. As of 2022, we are a dedicated, talented and hard-working team of 12 working at the next frontier in animal breeding, with the ambition and drive to build a commercially successful world-leader in our sector.

Since Day One, Genetics has been our sole focus. We have built our Company’s strategy, technology and team around developing and distributing Black Soldier Fly breeds. We leave large-scale production to Black Soldier Fly protein producers, our customers, who improve their bottom lines through our product. In doing so, we avoid unnecessary competition, and instead jointly focus our energies on scaling our industry.

Ecofly

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Ecofly
Country:	Austria
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://www.ecofly.at/en
Technology and process details
Technology name:		Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:	9	Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:	1 t/m2 per year
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:	Waste streams: Side products, which are authorized as feed stuff by EU regulations	Product:	Ecofly BSF Protein, BSF fertilizer, BSF oil, whole dried BSF larvae, BSF neonates (freshly hatched BSF larvae)

We started insect farming in a small garage. In 2017 we teamed up with Bernhard Protiwensky, a fertilizer expert and seasoned entrepreneur, to found Ecofly. Since then we work in the austrian village of Antiesenhofen to develop an efficient and cheap technology for breeding and growing BSF-larvae. In the beginning of 2020 we started a cooperation with PUREA Austria GmbH in order to turn the knowledge of both parties into an industrial process for breeding, growing and processing BSF-larvae.

Our solution to counteract the problems of global food production is based on a small fly called Hermetia Illucens (soldier fly). This fly offers fast growth and efficient biomass conversion while feeding on waste streams. Therefore we tackle two problems at once and contribute to a sustainable transformation of the food industry.

We utilize the larvae of the black soldier fly for upcycling waste streams to a high quality insect protein. Our larvae are exclusively fed on side products, which are authorized as feed stuff by EU regulations. Thus we can guarantee a stable process and prevent contaminations. The black soldier fly can be farmed very efficiently on small space. For one metric ton of product per year only one square metre of production area is required.

Illucens

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Illucens
Country:	Germany
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	http://illucens.com
Technology and process details
Technology name:	Vertical insect farming	Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:		Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	Insect protein, insect oil, insect fertilizer (frass), turn-key solutions for insect fattening

Our founder and CEO, Dirk Wessendorf, started as early as 2009 with the breeding of Black Soldier Flies. Much research has led us now to a system that allows the fattening of BSF larvae in a fully automated manner, reliable and highly cost-effective. The vertical farming principle allows for a 17-fold multiplication of the ground area. This system (patent pending) is especially designed for farmers and others who have access to biogenic side-streams. These can be converted to valuable proteins, insect oil and fertilizer.

Innovafeed

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Innovafeed
Country:	France
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://innovafeed.com/en/
Technology and process details
Technology name:	Vertical insect farming	Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:	9	Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	25,000 m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	Insect fertilizer (frass), insect protein, insect oil, Hilucia Pet Prot – Innovafeed’s insect protein for pets, Hilucia Pet Oil – Innovafeed’s insect oil for pets

Research & Development is at the heart of Innovafeed’s model with more than €10M invested over the last four years and more than a hundred tests conducted in research stations or in real conditions to push back the frontiers of scientific knowledge of the insect and guarantee a unique and competitive nutritional quality of the product.

• Cutting-edge zootechnical research to understand the life cycle of the insect Hermetia Illucens and to develop breakthrough technology needed to reproduce this natural cycle in farms.
• Optimization of the substrate to feed the larvae: more than 100 types of co-products evaluated and 200 recipes tested in order to design the substrate that today perfectly meets the nutritional needs of the larvae at each stage of development.
• Product development with leading experts (Nofima, Cargill, Imaqua…) to demonstrate and optimize the performance of our products in animal and plant nutrition.

Innovafeed’s unique technology makes it possible to reproduce the natural cycle of the insect on a large scale under controlled and optimized conditions:

• 3,000 sensors allow to optimize at any time the breeding conditions of larvae.
• The use of artificial intelligence allows to limit human intervention in the breeding process: robots automatically collect and count the 20,000 eggs laid every second. Innovafeed thus intends to put the insect back at the heart of the food chain.

Finally, Innovafeed has developed an innovative and proprietary industrial tool to transform larvae through a wet process allowing to guarantee the best quality of our products in particular in terms of digestibility.

Innovafeed has developed a model of co-location of its factories – called industrial symbiosis – allowing it to valorize local agricultural by-products to feed its larvae, and the fatal energy of its neighbors to heat its farm.

By considering sustainability as an input in the design of its factories, Innovafeed has thus made it a competitive argument enabling to offer premium and sustainable ingredients for all.

The environmental performance of Innovafeed’s model has been quantitatively demonstrated by a Life Cycle Analysis from the independent firm Quantis, showing that this model allows to save 57,000 tons of CO₂ each year.

NextAlim

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	NextAlim
Country:	France
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://www.nextalim.com
Technology and process details
Technology name:		Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:		Capacity:	2.4 tonnes of eggs per year kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	BSF eggs, BSF neonates, BSF larvae

NextAlim was founded in 2014, and has expertise in Black Soldier Fly (BSF) genetics and BSF breeding operations. They specialize in neonates multiplication at an industrial scale. NextAlim provides actors of the insect protein industry with young animals, ready for rearing, such as eggs, neonates or 7 day old larvae (7DOL). Their industrial plant is located in Poitiers (France) where they develop, test and implement technology solutions to breed BSF.

Protix

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Protix
Country:	The Netherlands
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://protix.eu
Technology and process details
Technology name:		Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:		Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:		Product:	Insect protein, insect oil, fertilizer, fish feed

Protix was founded 2009 and is market leader when it comes to verifiable and scalable insect breeding. The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is a key player: their larvae provide us with a unique source of protein for food and feed. Protix established a high level of technology and operates on industrial scale. They have a strong focus on research and engineering to continuously further improve quality, controllability, efficiency and overall competitiveness. This project is financially supported by the European fund for regional development: OPZuid

Ynsect

Insect farming provider

General information
Company:	Ynsect
Country:	France
Contact:	[email protected]
Webpage:	https://www.ynsect.com
Technology and process details
Technology name:	Ynsect	Technology category:	Conversion (Biochemical processes and technologies)
TRL:	8-9	Capacity:	kg·h-1
Farming area:	m2/organism	Organism:	Molitor Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), Buffalo Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)
		Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock:	Food waste, local agrifood by-products	Product:	Insect based fertilizer, insect oil, insect protein

Ynsect was founded in 2011 in Paris, France by scientists and environmental activists. Their core business is to transform insects into high-value ingredients for pets, fish, plants, and humans. Ynsect uses proprietary technology to produce Molitor and Buffalo mealworms in vertical farms. Ynsect is currently building its third production unit, the largest vertical farm in the world, in Amiens, France and operates two sites in Dole, France (since 2016) and Ermelo, The Netherlands (since 2017). The vertical farm, which will be based in Amiens Metropole, will be the first and largest fully automated industrial unit which will produce insect proteins. It is co-financed by the European Comission and Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) up to €20 millions. The production capacity is estimated to be 200.000 tonnes of protein per year. The Protifarm production site, situated in Ermerlo, The Netherlands, is dedicated to breeding the buffalo mealworm. This vertical farm produces more than 1000 tons of ingredients.

Open access pilot and demo facility providers

Currently no providers have been identified.

Patents

Currently no patents have been identified.