Insect farming

Insect farming involves breeding, rearing and harvesting insects for animal feed, human consumption, pharmceutical and cosmetic uses. The diversity of insect species includes groups highly specialized in their ability to thrive on different organic substrates as food sources. Some of these substrates resemble food wastes form agriculture and food processing industries. This is also referred to as insects-based bioconversion and represents an economically and environmentally viable method for turning large quantities of food waste into valuable materials.

Feedstock

Insects could be fed a mix of by-and co-products from the agri-food industries and with resources which are currently nog being used and not or no longer destined for human consumption, such as the so-called 'former foodstuff'. The by- and co-products may also include those derived from grains, starch, fruit and vegetable supply chains (e.g., bran, distillers grain, unsold fruit and vegetables, inclding peels) as well as products arising from the food manufacturing process.