Edible insects is an efficient, sustainable protein source with the potential to change the way we feed our animals, and ourselves. Rich in protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and with a considerably smaller environmental footprint than traditional protein sources, edible insects have emerged as a legitimate, sustainable alternative to fishmeal. Fishmeal is a commercial product made from dried fish after grinding it into a brown powder. Insect meal is also a commercial product, made from grinding the dried larvae (maggots) of insects.
The edible insects industry is still in its infancy. One pioneering startup company is Solution Blue, founded by Mick Thornett and based in Cowra, New South Wales, in Australia. It uses an innovative black soldier fly production system to solve the single biggest problem limiting the growth of the sector: consistent quality output.
The regulatory environment governing the marketing of insect protein products as animal feed is – like the industry itself – still emerging. Regulations differ between Australian states and livestock species, with the tightest restrictions related to using substrates that contain animal products. Solution Blue has avoided these complexities by feeding its insects on low-grade grain, such as split or out-of-spec corn. Mick explained that if the insects eat human food waste, the protein content of the insect meal will vary by 10–15%, and its inconsistent. The aquaculture industry can’t accept that.
“I originally wanted to grow fish, but only if I could do it sustainably,” said Mick. That meant finding an alternative to fishmeal. Mick explained, “Aquaculture feed managers are very interested in insects. But their biggest problem has been getting good quality protein in the quantity they need.” Solution Blue produces twice the productivity at 70% less cost than other producers.
The market for insect-based aquaculture feed (insect meal) gathered pace in the mid 2010’s, driven by rising fishmeal prices and the need for an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative. Large organizations have invested millions in designing insect protein production systems. “But the methods are so intensive that even with all the robotics and automation they could add, the costs just blow out and you can’t get a product that’s competitive with fishmeal,” said Mick.
Solution Blue doesn’t have the amounts of money that larger organizations have, so it invests time. Building the prototype on a very limited budget meant every decision had to be based on delivering an economically viable solution, such as addressing the key production challenges and maximising protein output. Five years of trial and error has paid off. “While many of our competitors went broke, Solution Blue has delivered an insect production method that is productive, profitable, scalable – and completely different to every other farming system in the marketplace.”
“I just kept refining it to the point where now, we’ve got this system which delivers twice the production per square metre of any other design in the world, and at a much lower cost. It’s about 70% cheaper per tonne to build, because it’s based on a flatpack design that’s just bolted together; there’s no engineering needed. Our operational costs are 70% lower, too, because there’s a really low energy input requirement and it’s automated – so needs very little human involvement.”
Mick Thornett continued, “Unlike other production systems, we don’t interact with the insects – the black soldier flies – after the four-day stage … and by limiting human interaction, we’re able to guarantee a food-grade product and avoid the health risks that can come from handling organic material.”
“It’s a great sustainability story,” said Mick, “But it’s important not to forget the business side of it: these things need to be productive. That’s why we spent so much time getting the manufacturing business model right.”
Although Solution Blue splits the larvae (maggots) of the black soldier flies into oil and dry protein, its initial market is whole dried larvae meal, which delivers full fat, nutrient-dense protein to growing animals. This means Solution Blue gets a saleable product, and a consistent one. This high-quality insect meal has already secured Solution Blue a supply partnership with BuggyBlend for its pet food products.
In a nascent industry where most organizations are still in the research and development (R&D) phase, scaling up production and commercialisation can be a challenge. “Our next step is simple. Although we're 100% confident in our prototype, and we’re already getting better results at less cost than anyone else, we want to get the absolute maximum production per square metre. So, we’ve got a bigger pilot plant planned onsite here [in Cowra] to shake out those last few bugs – so to speak.”
Solution Blue needs around $250,000 to get the larger pilot plant operational. It has already got a local manufacturing partner, with construction estimated to begin in early 2022.
“The pilot plant will be capable of producing one tonne per day of dry protein,” said Mick. “So, the figures stack up. We’re in a really good position to move forward with our pet food supply, and capture market share in the lucrative aquaculture feed market. We just need the right partner to help us.”
Solution Blue is a small to medium enterprise (SME) that is interested in the increasing role in meeting the world’s rising demand for protein, particularly for animal feed. It’s an industry AgriFutures Australia believes has high growth potential in the next five years – a core driver of its Emerging Industries Program. Solution Blue has been instrumental in fast-tracking the development of the Australian insect industry, participating in the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries’ Global AgTech Ecosystem (GATE) program, and as a key supplier to an AgriFutures-funded project investigating the potential of edible insects in the development of pet foods.
Learn more about this commercial opportunity here.
MARTINA NICOLLS
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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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