Insect Animal Feed: An Emerging Choice for Sustainability

The animal feed market is experiencing a persistent rise in demand for high-protein feed for fish and animals. Unfortunately, increased demand is also having observable detrimental effects on the environment, such as deforestation and a decline in fish stocks. For animals and the human population to continue to be fed, the land must undergo significant modifications, notably for soy. As a result, options those are more environmentally friendly and sustainable are in more demand, such as insect animal feed. When compared to other sources of protein-rich feed, such as soybeans, processing insect-based protein for animal feed uses far less land, water, and labor.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), for example, require far less space to grow than other edible insects, and they also require a lot less fodder to produce the same amount of edible animal feed for fish and livestock. As a result, insect farming requires relatively minimal capital. This is because they have significantly shorter life cycles and a higher rate of reproduction, which also makes them a much more useful and successful option in the agricultural sector. Additionally, they consume almost anything, including manure and livestock leftovers, making feeding them quite economical.

Animals raised for meat need high-quality, protein-rich diet. Although soybean and grain meal are one of the main sources of this feed currently, insects like the larvae of the black soldier fly are considered a better alternative as they are not only more sustainable sources, but also have a very high protein content. They have more than three times as much protein as soybeans. In addition to being a component of their natural diet, insects are also very useful to the health of agricultural animals like chickens and pigs. Consuming insects can improve the health of swine during the weaning phase and minimize stress and infections in poultry. Fish and animals can both digest meals made from dried insect protein powder.

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The environmental advantage that insect animal feed provides has been a major boosting factor for this market.

Food demand is an issue that is growing progressively more significant as the world population increases. Traditional cattle farming require resources like land and water, both of which are in short supply. As a result, finding alternate sources of high-quality protein is necessary to meet the demands of the expanding population. Other agricultural methods that produce insect protein use a lot fewer resources than those that produce traditional animals. Insect production generates less ammonia and greenhouse gases than conventional cattle species. Additionally, insects have the capacity to consume organic waste materials like leftover food from restaurants and animals, reducing the quantity of extra food that humans create. Since they consume less feed than conventional livestock, insects are particularly effective at turning grain into protein. Additionally, as insects are cold-blooded and can obtain all the water they need from their food, water conservation is also made possible.

Increased awareness and research of insect animal feed in aquaculture, poultry, ruminant feed and swine feed has also fuelled the growth of this market.

The growers are generally aware of and supportive of the use of insect-based feeds in the diets of farmed fish. Expectations of a fall in fishing pressure on wild fish supplies, a reduction in ecological footprint, and an improvement in the viability of the aquaculture industry are the key driving forces behind this. The primary justification for using insects as aquaculture feed is the drop in production costs caused by the economic cost of insect meal. The most often utilized insect meals in broiler and laying hen diets include black army fly, mealworm, housefly, cricket/grasshopper/locust, silkworm, and earthworm. Additional research has also had an impact on the poultry industry for pest animal feed. According to the US National Library of Medicine, a Chinese research team published a paper on the use of insect meal as a chicken feed additive in February 2022. The study emphasized elements such meat quality, immune system performance, and broiler growth performance.

Investments and funding secured by start-ups and key firms have also positively influenced the insect animal feed market.

• In August 2022, Indian agrifood VC Omnivore and WaterBridge Ventures jointly led the US$3.4 million seed investment round for the Indian insect biotech firm Loopworm. Loopworm is one of the earliest technological businesses to produce and supply insects for animal feed. The money was used to hire staff, speed up research and development, and establish Loopworm's first plant in North Bangalore in order to increase production. On the basis of food waste, Loopworm raises insects and turns them into products with added value for the animal feed sector. This food waste is obtained by the corporation through fruit markets, retail food chains, and food processors. It is processed by biochemistry and fermentation to make it ideal for breeding insects, at the moment the black soldier fly. The finished feed for shrimp and poultry is made from the processed insects.
• In September 2022, The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, completed a US$250 million series D round of fundraising for InnovaFeed, a vertical insect farm operator that raises insects for animal and plant nutrition. InnovaFeed is one of several biotechnology firms that have emerged with a focus on using insects to produce nutrition for animals, such as fish farming, chicken and swine farming, and pet food. Additionally, InnovaFood produces organic fertilizers from insect waste to promote the growth of plants and crops.
• In September 2022, Invers, a French startup, secured €15 million to convert insects into a different source of protein for animal feed. IDIA Capital Investissement and Agri Impact, a fund run by Citizen Capital in collaboration with Fondation Avril, acquired the initiative in Series A financing. The startup provides a circular concept that creates regional supply networks. This approach depends on cooperatives for sourcing and commercialization as well as on partner farmers for breeding. 500 specialty retailers in France now carry Invers' wide selection of pet food items. The company planned to expand and set up a comprehensive agricultural supply chain on a national level through the cash infusion.

North America and Asia Pacific regions each hold similar shares of the insect animal feed market.

Many new companies that focus on breeding and producing items using insects have their foundations in Europe. Rising developments in the activities of new producers in this appealing sector are likely to increase Europe's share during the forecasted timeframe.

Due to the increased demand for goods derived from insects for animal feed and cattle husbandry, the market in the Asia Pacific is expected to grow rapidly. End-use sectors like pet food and feed, livestock, and aquaculture are growing in the Asia Pacific area, which benefits the market for insect animal feed.

Additionally, North America accounts for a sizeable percentage of the market for insects used as animal feed. Mealworms, black army flies, and orthoptera have the quickest rates of development in the market for edible insects used as animal feed in the area.

Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence is a market research and consulting firm based out of India. Steered by some of the industry experts, the company provides syndicated reports, custom research, and consulting services.