R.Gunnarsson - Unsplash
INSECT4CITY Consortium (2020)
BETTER Metaprogramme
Themes
Making the most of water and urban waste
INSECT4CITY Consortium (2020)

INSECT4CITY : Benefits and risks of entomoconversion for recycling biowaste from urban and peri-urban zones

Entomoconversion in a circular bioeconomy approach

Context and challenges

R.Gunnarsson - Unsplash

In urban and periurban environments, where waste management is an increasingly
serious issue, entomoconversion (bioconversion using insects) is an attractive solution that is
compatible with the circular bioeconomy (see diagram below). However, entomoconversion also
Involves specific questions concerning the heterogeneity of bio-waste, health risk management,
regulatory and societal constraints, the quality of by-products and the establishment of dedicated
short circuits

 

Progress and results

The activities of the INSECT4CITY consortium have focused on the overall benefit, risk assessment,
and discussions of key issues. Initially comprised of 14 research units, 10 new partners
progressively joined the consortium which now totals 17 research units from 8 INRAE
departments and 7 non-INRAE research units (CNRS, INSERM, ONIRIS, universities).

Schéma INSECT4CITY © INRAE

INSECT4CITY consortium has led to: 

  • Sixteen recorded 2-hour themed webinars.
  • The creation of several projects: FLY4WASTE (BETTER exploratory project), FIFA (targeted project currently being evaluated by ANR), AgriFoodTech project (underway with A*STAR, Singapore).
  • Marie Papin's doctoral thesis, co-supervised by three consortium members and co-funded
    by BETTER and QuaPA-MASS     (started In December 2022).
  • The creation of an e-Watch on entomoconversion with the help of DIPSO-INRAE, available
    on the BETTER website
  • A summary article involving most of the members of the consortium, bringing together the
    Ideas put forward during the webinars    , is currently being finalised for submission by the
    end of the year.
  • A paper by the consortium presented at two international conferences.
  • An "insects" event on the INRAE stand at the 2023 Paris Agricultural Show
  • Participation in educational activities (INSECT Doctoral course in May 2023; Summer School
    on insects organised by Grenoble University).

Project sheets

Project participants

Coordination :

INRAE partners

AGROECOSYSTEM division
UMR ITAPEconomic and social impacts of entomoculture
ALIMH division
UMR C2VNNutrition, bio-accumulation of micro-nutrients with health benefitsand phytochemicals in edible insects 
UMR CSGASensory acceptability, organoleptic drawbacks
ECOSOCIO division
UMR SMART-LERECOSocietal acceptability, economic evaluation
MATHNUM division
UR LISCSocietal acceptability, social impact of innovations
MICA division
UMR MICALISInsect health and microbiological safety in entomoculture
UR LBEMicrobial ecology
UMR SECALIMMicrobiological safety, benefits-risks evaluation of health/food
PHASE division
UMR BOAZootechny, animal nutrition, insect protein in animal nutrition
UMR SASEnvironmental impacts of entomoculture, role of insect farming in circular bioeconomy
TRANSFORM division
UR QuaPAChemical safety
UMR IATE Multi-actor/criteria evaluations, benefits-risk analysis
UMR SAYFOODProcedures for processing insects

non-INRAE partners

UMR IRBI Université de Tours -CNRSInsect biology
UMR GEPEAProcedures for processing insects for animal feed or food for humans
SYSAAF Antenne de NouzillyGenetic selection of insects

Modification date: 30 October 2024 | Publication date: 06 July 2021 | By: PMS