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The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), commonly referred to by its English name “BSF” (Black Soldier Fly), represents a significant opportunity to address today’s environmental and agricultural challenges. This bioconversion sector transforms agricultural by-products and organic waste into animal proteins for feed and natural fertilizers. It fully aligns with circular economy models and strengthens the sustainability of agricultural and agri-food sectors.However, despite its undeniable advantages, this emerging industry faces technical, economic, and regulatory challenges.
At La Compagnie des Insectes, we tackle these issues with an innovative technological approach based on:
- Horizontally thermoregulated farming, adaptable to existing infrastructure.
- Advanced automation to maximize operational efficiency.
- Regulatory anticipation to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.
The challenge:
BSF larvae require specific conditions for optimal development: temperatures between 27 and 35°C and sufficient humidity to prevent substrate drying. In conventional vertical models, these conditions rely on energy-intensive HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), leading to high costs, especially during energy inflation or in unfavorable climates.
Our approach:
Unlike vertical farms, our horizontally thermoregulated system maintains optimal conditions directly in the substrate, allowing deployment in existing structures like barns, greenhouses, and farm buildings without requiring airtightness. This flexibility reduces infrastructure costs. Using intelligent sensors, we regulate thermal parameters in real-time and locally for each production batch, avoiding energy overuse. By optimizing passive farming practices (feeding frequency, production density, substrate humidity), we reduce energy needs while ensuring ideal conditions for larvae. This democratizes BSF farming, making it economically viable for farms of all sizes while minimizing its environmental impact.
The challenge:
Larval productivity heavily depends on the quality and composition of inputs. Although BSF can process a wide variety of organic matter, some by-products pose technical and logistical challenges:
- Excessively fibrous materials complicate separating larvae from frass, slowing the process.
- Variability in flows (humidity, nutrient content) can impact larval growth.
- Regulations impose strict restrictions on certain materials, requiring traceability and hygiene guarantees.
Our solution:
- Collaborating with agricultural and agri-industrial stakeholders to select local by-products suitable for our processes.
- Pretreating inputs: Using grinding and homogenization systems, we prepare organic matter to ensure regular and optimal feeding for larvae.
- Meeting regulatory requirements to ensure sanitary safety of incoming flows and high-quality production.
This circular and localized approach optimizes available resources while strengthening the sustainability of our model.
The challenge:
Although limited, BSF farming can face biological risks affecting activity safety (larvae, personnel). These risks are heightened with the densification of farming operations. A lack of biosafety can compromise larval productivity and product quality.
Our approach:
- Compartmentalized farming: Our horizontal model segments production phases, limiting cross-contamination risks.
- Direct visibility and access to all production batches for increased control.
- Strict cleaning and hygiene protocols, with regular cycles to ensure a healthy environment.
- Real-time monitoring of environmental parameters batch-by-batch for optimal security at every stage.
This rigorous approach ensures stable production that meets sanitary requirements while optimizing yields.
The challenge:
Traditional tray-based farms rely on labor-intensive manual operations or costly logistics systems, limiting productivity and increasing operating costs.
Our solution:
- Tray elimination: Our horizontal model avoids physical handling and tray movement, reducing repetitive tasks.
- Simplified motorization: Our motorized robots automate daily feeding, harvesting, larval sorting, and overall flow management, maximizing productivity with minimal human intervention.
- Cycle optimization: Automation enables continuous operation, enhancing operational efficiency.
This technological innovation ensures reliable, scalable, and economically efficient production.
The challenge:
Frass is recognized as an effective fertilizer. However, despite its promising methanogenic properties, its use in methanization processes remains officially prohibited. In France, frass must obtain market authorization (AMM) to be sold as a fertilizer, as it does not meet national standards or European Constituent Material Categories (CMC). This AMM process is complex, lengthy, and costly, which can hinder its development. Larvae use in animal feed is permitted for poultry and pigs in live form but remains prohibited in whole dehydrated form. Processed Animal Proteins (PAP) from insects are authorized for monogastric animals, including fish farming.
Our commitment:
- As an active member of the IPIFF, we actively participate in discussions to advance regulatory changes.
- Short-term prospects: Redefining PAP to include ground dehydrated larvae would broaden the product’s application.
- Frass valorization: Despite constraints, we promote its agronomic benefits for sustainable agriculture by collaborating with various sectors.
At La Compagnie des Insectes, we tackle the challenges of BSF farming with horizontal, automated, and thermoregulated technology. By optimizing inputs, managing environmental conditions, and addressing regulatory constraints, we position BSF farming as a key solution for the future. Combining innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability, we support the transition to a high-performing circular agriculture model, contributing to a more resilient and resource-respectful food system.
