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The black soldier fly industry is now booming, and at the center of this dynamic is the black soldier fly (BSF - Black Soldier Fly). Thanks to its low environmental impact, it embodies the circular economy, providing innovative solutions to improve the food chain.
The insect industry includes a multitude of species, each offering unique characteristics and advantages in terms of both performance and environmental impact. The Compagnie des Insectes has designed an innovative economic model based on the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) which aims to:
1. Exploiting a highly efficient species, resistant and adaptable to a wide variety of inputs.
2. Maximize the reduction of the impact of the black soldier fly, by responding as closely as possible to the needs and expectations of the agricultural and agri-food sectors.
The latest environmental impact study, carried out by Bioflytech and published in the journal Environmental Development, complies with ISO 14064-1 standards (available here). This study particularly highlighted two aspects: the carbon impact and the impact on water resources.
The importance of inputs
The choice of inputs is crucial, as it represents a significant part of the carbon footprint of black soldier fly farms (cf. article diagram), where food (feed) contributes to 79% of this impact. Current regulations limit the use of non-valued inputs in the food chain, such as biowaste. Thus, inputs are not only essential for the economic stability of the industry, but also for the environmental sustainability of our model.
Demonstrated environmental relevance despite limitations
Faced with restrictions on the inputs that can be used to feed the black soldier fly, one might expect an average environmental impact compared to other forms of farming. However, the results are revealing:
Carbon impact: For equivalent amounts of protein, the carbon impact is about 30 times higher for cattle farms than for black soldier flies, and five times higher for poultry farms.
Water consumption: Although the study does not provide a quantified comparison, it indicates that water consumption for breeding black soldier flies is particularly low, amounting to 1.293 m³ per ton of larvae produced.
As impact simulations multiply, their concrete implementation within established food chains is essential. This is the challenge taken up by the Compagnie des Insectes with its industrial pilot located in Saint Maurice sur Adour, which is already proving the effectiveness of its model. The national deployment of our solution will make it possible to amplify the positive impact of this approach while continuing to improve our model and optimize the ways in which residues and co-products are valorized, from farm to fork.
For more information and a study adapted to your situation, do not hesitate to contact us.
