Black soldier fly larvae farming: a sustainable source of protein

 

Black soldier fly larvae farming: a sustainable source of protein.

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There are many reasons why we need to discuss black soldier fly larvae (often abbreviated as BSFL) farming as an alternative source of protein.

According to certain studies, food production will have to be increased by a whopping 70% by 2050 to feed every person on the planet. The need for protein consumption is ever-present in consumers, but by trying to meet that need, the current practices of the traditional meat industry result in a growing burden on the environment through excessive deforestation, water consumption, and a large carbon footprint.

Black soldier fly larvae farming: a sustainable source of protein

Black soldier fly larvae farming provides an answer to the common issues associated with the traditional meat industry in more ways than one.

1. You can get more protein from black soldier fly larvae with less feed

Thanks to their short life cycle (the larvae can already be harvested after 13 days),and their extremely high reproduction rate, you only need about 1.5 kgs of feed to get 1 kg of consumable BSFL. For poultry, a farm needs about 7 kgs of feed to reach the same results, and over 20 kgs of feed to get 1kg of consumable, clean beef meat. This is a way more optimal rate!

2. Black soldier fly larvae farming provides a sustainable source of feed for fish farms and livestock

Since the black soldier fly larvae themselves can be used as animal feed, they provide a perfectly sustainable solution to get fodder for fish farms and other livestock, instead of the large-scale deforestation caused by soy fields meant to feed cattle.

3. Black soldier fly larvae farming puts much less of a burden on the environment

BSF larvae require much less available space and clean water to thrive. This means that there does not need to be any big changes made to the land for black soldier fly larvae farming. Especially since the larvae prosper close to each other in high densities, as opposed to other farm animals that would agonize in the same circumstances. Not to mention that to produce 1 kg of consumable chicken meat, you would need more than 17 times the amount of water compared to black soldier fly larvae. In the case of beef, you would need almost 170 times more water!

4. Black soldier fly larvae protein: more meat without heavy environmental drawbacks

Taking into account their short life cycles and high reproduction rates, black soldier fly larvae can bring more meat to the table in 1 year than 3000 acres of cattle or 130 acres of soybeans, which also represent a much higher cost for the environment. Not to mention that the demand for organic, eco-conscious protein sources is already present. In the last 20 years, commercial black soldier fly larvae farming raised around 1 billion USD, and this number is expected to go as high as 30 billion USD by 2030!

5. Black soldier fly larvae farming as a zero-waste solution

Black soldier fly larvae are exceptional at converting waste into quality protein. They are far from being picky eaters and can eat almost all kinds of organic waste and by-products, including manure, compost, food waste, carrion (animal carcass remains),mold, and plant refuse. Their by-products can then be reused as fertilizer.

6. Black soldier fly larvae farming is easier and more cost-effective

The good news is that black soldier fly larvae farming and insect protein processing is not just good for the environment: it represents a profitable business opportunity for farmers. Compared to traditional livestock, BSFL farms can be set up much more easily, and raising the insects requires much less effort on your part. It is also easy to notice when it is time to harvest the larvae, as they will always look for another dark and dry place before the final stage of their life cycle. And of course, you can use almost any organic waste as feed, and you will not even need that much of it, making it way cheaper than caring for beef.