Promoting Insects as a Sustainable Feed Source

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Authors

Anto Rashwin¹

1. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Conference / event

International Conference on Sustainable Synergy: Navigating the Energy and Environmental Nexus, August 2024 (Coimbatore, India)

Poster summary

Amid the rising global demand for animal protein, efficient use of land and water resources is crucial. Insects present a viable solution due to their high nutritional value and low environmental impact. This poster explores the role of insect farming, particularly black soldier fly rearing, in producing sustainable feeds and reducing the ecological footprint of traditional animal rearing. Insect-based feeds not only offer a superior nutritional profile but also provide health benefits comparable to conventional feeds, benefiting livestock and aquaculture species like crustaceans. Despite challenges such as consumer acceptance and the need for further research on microbial safety, the insect farming industry is rapidly growing in developed countries. By integrating insects into animal feed, we can significantly decrease reliance on unsustainable resources like fishmeal and land-based plant materials, supporting environmental sustainability and enhancing resource efficiency.

Keywords

Sustainable feed source, Insects, Black Soldier Fly (BSF), Aquaculture, Poultry

Research areas

Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Biological Sciences

References

1. Payne, C. L. R., et al., (2016). Are edible insects more or less ‘healthy’ than commonly consumed meats?. Eur. J. of clinical nutrition, 70(3), 285-291. https://doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.149
2. Van Huis, A., & Oonincx, D. G. a. B. (2017). The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 37(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0452-8
3. Zou, X., et al.,(2024). Applications of insect nutrition resources in animal production. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 15, 100966. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2024.100966
4. Beyers, M., et al., (2023). Black soldier fly larvae as an alternative feed source and agro-waste disposal route – A life cycle perspective. Resources Conservation and Recycling, 106917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.106917
5. Sogari, G., et al., (2019). The Potential Role of Insects as Feed: A Multi-Perspective Review. Animals, 9(4), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9040119

Funding

No data provided

Supplemental files

No data provided

Additional information

Competing interests

No competing interests were disclosed.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and / or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Creative Commons license

Copyright © 2024 Rashwin. This is an open access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.