S5 Ep3: Turning Waste into Regenerative Feed and Farming Products
May 18, 2023
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Learn how regenerative insect agriculture is redefining waste disposal, producing alternative protein sources from ethanol industry by-products. Discover the versatility and potential of insects as food, and the challenges faced by the insect agriculture industry. Explore the use of insects in biotechnology and collaboration in a competitive industry. Gain insights into the collaborative nature of climate tech firms and the importance of waste management. Understand the importance of raising awareness about waste separation and its potential as a resource. Hear about the ambitious targets for success in reducing antibiotic use and improving the food system.
Insects, particularly the black soldier fly, have immense potential to efficiently process waste and convert it into valuable products, offering sustainable solutions across various sectors.
Chapul Farms aims to scale insect farming in the US by utilizing the black soldier fly and processing organic waste through their larvae, creating valuable products such as dried larvae, defatted meal, and bio-fertilizer.
Insects, such as black soldier flies, contribute to a circular economy by efficiently converting low-value organic waste into high-demand protein sources and bio-fertilizer, reducing food waste and promoting a more sustainable approach to waste management.
Deep dives
The Potential of Insects in Addressing Climate Challenges
In this episode, Michael discusses the immense potential of insects in addressing climate challenges. He explains that insects, particularly the black soldier fly, can efficiently process waste and convert it into valuable products. The value chain of insects spans from kitchen waste to large-scale industrial applications, offering solutions across various sectors. Insects can bring efficiency and sustainability without requiring external energy. They have a long evolutionary history and have been a stable protein source for millions of years. Insects offer a low-cost, high-demand protein source for animal feed, while also reducing the amount of food waste that goes into landfills.
Chapel Farms: Scaling Insect Farming in the US
Michael shares his career journey and how he became passionate about insect farming. He explains that Chapel Farms aims to scale insect farming in the US by utilizing the black soldier fly. The company focuses on processing organic waste, such as food waste and spent grains, through the larvae of black soldier flies. Chapel Farms is developing large-scale projects and building infrastructure to handle millions of tons of organic waste. The company believes in the circularity of waste and aims to create valuable products, such as dried larvae, defatted meal, and bio-fertilizer.
The Importance of Insects in a Circular Economy
Michael highlights the importance of insects in a circular economy. He emphasizes that insects have been part of the ecosystem for millions of years and have played a critical role in nutrient cycling and soil health. Insects, such as black soldier flies, can efficiently convert low-value organic waste into high-demand protein sources and bio-fertilizer. They offer a sustainable and scalable solution to address the protein needs in animal feed, aquaculture, and pet food industries. Furthermore, insects contribute to reducing food waste and promoting a more circular approach to waste management.
Global Presence and Opportunities for Insect Farming
Michael discusses the global presence and opportunities for insect farming. He mentions that insect farming has gained traction in regions such as Asia, Europe, and South Africa. These regions have established markets and research collaborations to explore the potential of insects in various industries. In the US, insect farming is still in its infancy, but there is growing interest and activity. Chapel Farms aims to contribute to the growth of the industry in the US by developing large-scale projects and collaborating with universities and research institutions. The goal is to create a sustainable and resilient food system by utilizing insects.
Challenges and Future Outlook for Insect Farming
Michael discusses the challenges and future outlook for insect farming. He acknowledges the slow development of the industry and the need to create awareness and market adoption. The commoditization of insect products is a concern, as the focus should be on value creation and market differentiation. Managing growth and building infrastructure are also critical challenges. However, Michael remains optimistic about the potential of insect farming and the positive impact it can have on food systems, soil health, and reducing antibiotic use.
Has anyone ever told you to be more mindful of your waste?
Meet the man who believes that waste isn’t just waste— and why he feels that humans have a lot to learn from mother nature.
Michael Place, CTO of Chapul Farms, stops by the studio to talk about how regenerative insect agriculture is redefining how we think of waste disposal. After witnessing a hoard of black soldier fly larvae making quick haste of his compost pile one morning, Michael realized the insect's immense potential to solve waste byproduct disposal problems.
Now, insect agriculture is a multi-million-dollar industry capable of producing alternative protein sources for animals and humans across the world by upcycling waste by-products from the ethanol industry into bio-fertilizer soil products (FRASS).
Michael discusses the versatility of insects as food, the promising future of insect agriculture, and the challenges it faces to widespread scalability.
Stay up-to-date on all things Keep Cool: https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/keep-cool/ or follow Nick Van Osdol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickvanosdol
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