Summary

This innovation project was focused on whether the use of insect larvae in fish, chicken and pig feed would be more environmentally friendly than current, widely used yet ecologically problematic, protein sources such as imported soy and fishmeal. 

To respond to this question, a transdisciplinary team worked for three years to investigate several aspects of the challenge. Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) were fed by-products from food production (also called source substrate), and then used to produce substitutes that were added to compound feeds used in pig, chicken, and fish farming. Their nutritional properties, their economic efficiency, and their impact on GHG emissions were then tested. 

 

Results