Human food waste is fed to the insects, which break it down, and the insects are then used in animal feed to produce protein that is then fit for human consumption.
Among other things, participants at the Future Mill 2024 conference talked about technologies and techniques that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of feed production.
Circularity is based on the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and focuses on reusing and disposing of waste, thus promoting environmental sustainability. An example of circular agriculture is feeding human food waste to insects, which break it down, and then using the insects in animal feed to produce protein that is then suitable for human consumption.
“Generalization is not a new concept. It is useful to try to extract the maximum possible value from each resource element. I think this is increasingly becoming a trend or a priority, as environmental pressures are felt.”
“We are delighted to be working with Innovafeed to develop a new technology that will enable us to deliver the best possible experience for our customers,” said May Walraven, Managing Director of Innovafeed North America.
As an insect producer, Innovafeed is inspired by and continues to evolve naturally occurring processes.
“We were inspired by nature, and in nature insects are great recycling tools. They feed on low-quality biomass that other animals don’t eat. […] “We are trying to reproduce that on a large industrial scale, which is to say we are raising insects and using the abundant by-product stock in their feed.”
The insects can then be used as feed ingredients, including oil and protein, but even insect waste can be used as fertilizer. The panel discussion also discussed the role of feed additives and artificial intelligence in improving sustainability and reducing waste.
