Insect Bioconversion – An important cog in the Circular Economy

Insect Bioconversion – An important cog in the Circular Economy

The Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) can effectively and efficiently, and at scale, convert Australian grown farm gate waste into insect products and frass (fertilizer), in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation claims that less than 2% of the nutritional value in our food is recycled back to our food production systems and that approximately 30% of all food produced globally, ends up in landfill. This is not only a terrible waste of human and natural resources, but also contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Industry South Australia’s Circular Economy Resource Recovery Report 2020-2021 states that “food waste recovery remained the lowest contributor to overall organics recovery at 1.4%” and represented a “major opportunity for increased diversion of organics.” The report also declares that “a circular economy utilises resources to their fullest potential.”

The aforementioned hypothesis is designed to meet the growing demand for natural resources through recovery of agricultural and farm gate waste streams.

The benefits of insect bioconversion technology include:

• Ability to be located close to source of food waste (reduced collection and transport costs)
• Fully contained and expeditious process of managing food waste (reduced odour, vermin and pest issues)
• Production of insect protein (suitable for pet and livestock feed)
• Production of frass (organic fertiliser with beneficial microbes and chitin)

Within the food waste hierarchy, insect bioconversion is a process that operates in the higher levels i.e. ‘Re-use’ (conversion to insect protein) and ‘Recycling’ – production of frass as soil ameliorant.

This hypothesis focuses on validating that insect bioconversion can effectively target Australian agricultural waste streams, specifically as a stand-alone, integrated insect farm deployed to rural and regional areas.

To test this hypothesis, several areas of research and development will need to be undertaken.

Firstly, challenging Australian agricultural waste streams are to be identified for feed stock trials to black soldier fly larvae. This is a supporting activity relying on agriculture industry reports, waste and food waste surveys, greenhouse gas emission studies and economic loss reports.

Once potential agricultural waste streams requiring recovery/recycling have been identified, bespoke feedstock insect bioconversion trials can be conducted using Mobius Farms’ current lab scale facility.

Feedstock trials will provide important data on the capability of the BSFL to bio-convert various Australian grown products with the intention of scaling up the process using modular, on-site insect bioconversion technology. It is envisaged that different feedstocks, or substrates, may perform differently e.g. rate of material reduction by the BSFL, BSFL growth rates, feed conversion ratios, quality of BSFL and quality of frass. There may also be other unknown factors that impact the efficiency of the waste bioconversion, for example, the external environmental conditions (temperature, light and humidity), may impact on the behaviour of the BSFL and their waste bioconversion performance. What influence, if any, does the stocking density of larvae grow out trays have on the bioconversion of specific agricultural waste streams? What environmental concerns do farmers have about the re-use of insect frass in horticultural applications e.g. potential concentration of heavy metals? Is this more likely to occur in some feedstocks, than others?

As with any livestock farming scenario, environmental conditions, coupled with feed quality and access, influence the health, behaviour and ultimately, market value. The same can be said for black soldier fly larvae. Whilst there are many scientific research papers available that describe the insect and its characteristics in detail, these studies are typically undertaken in a laboratory environment, under strict control of inputs and outputs. This is not the case in commercial, at-scale applications where there can be variability in many aspects of the insect bioconversion process.

The hypothesis being tested specifically explores the challenges associated with the scaling up of the insect bioconversion technology, from lab-scale, with the view to assist regional and rural food producers to more effectively recover and re-use their own waste streams.

Commercial acceptability will be dependent on the nutritional quality and safety of insect-based protein products produced from the bioconversion of organic waste streams. Activities must be included that ensure regulatory standards are complied with. This may include analyzing the nutritional composition, digestibility, and allergenicity of insect protein, as well as assessing potential risks associated with bioaccumulation of contaminants in the insect feedstock.