FLY4WASTE : Assessing the risks and benefits of the entomoconversion of urban and peri-urban biowaste by the insect Hermetia illucens

Context and challenges

Given that total global production of waste will reach 3.4 billion tonnes per year by 2050 (Kaza et al., 2018), entomoconversion is of interest as a complement to solutions that already exist (i.e. composting, micro-methanisation, incineration) for rising to this major challenge. Furthermore, entomoconversion is a means to recover biowaste since the insect’s larvae could, for example, be transformed into very protein-rich meal for use in animal feed. These larvae are also very rich in anti-microbial compounds (lauric acid, peptide) and lipids that can serve as energy-dense nutrients or be converted into biofuel. The larvae may also contain high concentrates of some micronutrients (minerals, trace elements and vitamins) that boost their nutritional value for use in food for people or feed for animals. Lastly, when they are developing, larvae produce excrement (frass), that can serve as a natural fertilizer, and chitin, the basis of chitosan, used in various industries (Cammack et al., 2021). Insect rearing (entomoculture) is seen as an ecological way to recycle waste and organic residue and recover agro-industrial co-products (entomoconversion). In this context, the project seeks to test the concept of the circular bioeconomy with a view to simultaneously assess certain benefits but also certain potential risks of using entomoconversion to recover biowaste from urban and peri-urban areas.

Goals

The black solider fly is used to turn food-grade by-products and residue into a range of products that are already on the market. The main goal of FLY4WASTE is to assess to what extent this insect could, if regulations allow, be exploited more widely to recycle urban and peri-urban biowaste with a view to achieving a circular bioeconomy. The primary focus of research will be to assess the main benefits and risks associated with using entomoconversion to recover biowaste from urban and peri-urban areas. The risks and benefits being potentially very varied, the project will integrate several disciplines in order to 1/ carry out an evaluation of the nutritional, health (chemical, microbiological), economic and social dimensions of entomoconversion, then to 2/ use all these criteria to carry out a risk-benefit analysis of different possible scenarios for this type of biowaste recycling.
If entomoconversion is to be successfully harnessed to recycle urban and peri-urban waste, it will be necessary in the long term to broaden the risk-benefit analysis to other dimensions by involving different partners in this inter-disciplinary project, especially when it comes to:

• Societal acceptability
• Use of entomoconversion products in animal feed
• Genetic selection of the insect
• Optimisation of entomoconversion procedures or processing of derived products
• Environmental impact

This project responds to the challenges of INRAE 2030 mostly included in axis 1 of the metaprogramme BETTER “circularity of flows and looping of bio-geo-chemical cycles”. It also contributes to axes 2 and 3 for improving the circularity of flows and the success of the sustainability and resilience of tomorrow’s cities thanks to the bioeconomy  

Contacts - Co-ordination :

Project participants