Allies in the green economy
Recently, insect farming for animal feed production, as alternative to fishmeal, has had a new impulse thanks to the policies approved by the European Commission. In the last three years, some companies involved in this field, just like Biological Care,
have started a sort of joint venture in different sectors, from planning to experimentation and management, in order to establish an industrial system of edible insects breeding.
The larvae are fed by organic waste, in controlled temperature special boxes, known as Bugsfarm. Eating, the larvae start a bio-conversion process of nutrients producing animal feed, fertilizer, pellet for thermal energy and many other chemical substances.
The context
The project stems from Biological Care's meeting with Cesac's reality and the need to reconvert cold rooms present in the area, where fruit farming is in decline, by studying a cost-effective system that can exploit these plants in an alternative and low-impact way.
In addition, Biological Care has long invested in research to create effective synergies between insect rearing and biodigester production processes.
The protagonist
Tenebrio molitor, or flour moth, has many advantages: it has a high reproductive rate, is prone to few diseases so it has good survivorship, is easily reared even on poor diets, and adapts well to the high densities of intensive livestock farms. It is also rich in protein, fat and vitamins, has a high feed conversion rate and consumes fewer resources (water and soil) than conventional animals.
The market
The insect market has good growth forecasts, both for the feed and food sectors. In Europe in particular, thanks to Novel Food regulation, excellent sales increases are expected. As the market opens up and with more and more new players ready to meet the demand for Novel Food made from edible insects, it is expected to reach more than 390 million consumers.
The solution
Cold stores house Bugsfarms, enclosed and insulated environments suitable for minimizing the risk of air and bacterial pollution. Here, the larvae are fed organic by-products from grain, fruit and vegetable processing. As they grow and complete the cycle, they become animal feed, fertilizer and chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, to optimize resource utilization, the organic residue is planned to be used as a soil conditioner for crops and for use in the biogas sector.
With the participation of
With the contribution of
