Leveraging Greenhouses For Insect Farming

In recent years, the global food system has faced unprecedented challenges. Climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity have put immense pressure on traditional agriculture, prompting a search for innovative and sustainable alternatives.

Moreover, insect farming, particularly in controlled environments like greenhouses, has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges.

In Today's Edition, We Are Covering:

• A Growing Need To Diverisfy Protein Sources

• Leveraging CEA In Insect Farming

• The Expert Voice - BSF Cultivation in Poly Greenhouses

• Leveraging Frass As A Soil Improver

• Future Opportunities

Thanks to Emilie Devic, Ph.D. (insect farming expert and consultant), and Maurice Dagenais of Entosystem for your feedback.

LOOKING AT THE MARKET
A Growing Need To Diverisfy Protein Sources

In recent years, the global food system has faced unprecedented challenges. Climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity have put immense pressure on traditional agriculture, prompting a search for innovative and sustainable alternatives. Moreover, Insect farming, particularly in controlled environments like greenhouses, has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges.

The geo-economic environment surrounding insect farming is rapidly evolving. As of 2024, the global edible insect market is projected to reach $1.2 billion, driven by increasing demand for sustainable protein sources and growing acceptance of insects as food and feed. This growth is supported by favorable regulatory changes, particularly in regions like the European Union, which has recently approved certain insect species for human consumption and aquaculture feed (Smetana and al., 2023).

Moreover, Insect farming offers a promising solution to alleviate the pressure on marine ecosystems by providing a sustainable alternative protein source for the aquaculture industry (Aidoo and al., 2023). By replacing fishmeal with insect-derived proteins, this innovative approach can significantly reduce the demand for wild-caught fish used in aquafeed production, thus contributing to the conservation of ocean biodiversity. Studies have shown that insect meals, particularly from black soldier fly larvae, can effectively replace up to 50% of fishmeal in aquaculture diets without compromising fish growth or health, offering a viable path to more sustainable fish farming practices (Igrow News, 2024).

Developing nations, especially in Africa and Asia, recognize insect farming as a means to enhance food security and create economic opportunities. In East Africa, insect rearing is becoming a sustainable alternative to traditional farming, often requiring significant water and land resources.

LOOKING AT THE SYSTEMS
CEA For Insect Farming

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) refers to agricultural techniques that provide protection and maintain optimal growing conditions throughout crop development. For insect farming, CEA offers several advantages:

1. Climate Control: Greenhouses and other CEA structures allow for precise regulation of temperature, humidity, lighting (especially for the reproduction of adults), and gas management (like NH3 concentration). This is crucial for insects like crickets and mealworms, which require specific environmental conditions for optimal growth and reproduction.

2. Year-Round Production: CEA creates artificial microclimates to enable continuous insect production regardless of external weather conditions. This consistency is vital for meeting the growing demand for insect-based products.

3. Disease Management: Controlled environments reduce the risk of pest infestations and diseases, which can be devastating in open farming systems. This leads to higher yields and more predictable production cycles.

4. Resource Efficiency: CEA systems can be designed to minimize water usage and optimize feed conversion, making insect farming even more sustainable compared to traditional livestock rearing.

Key Insect Species in CEA

While numerous insect species are suitable for farming, a few have gained prominence in controlled environment settings:

1. Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens): Prized for rapidly converting organic waste into high-quality protein and fat. BSF larvae are particularly useful in animal feed and can be reared in various controlled systems (Horti-Generation, 2019).

2. Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor): These beetles are easy to cultivate and have a high protein content. They thrive in controlled environments and are increasingly used in both human food and animal feed applications.

3. House Crickets (Acheta domesticus): With their high protein content and familiar appearance, crickets have become popular in the edible insect market. They adapt well to greenhouse conditions and can be reared efficiently (Aidoo and al., 2023).

LEADERSHIP COMMENTARY
The Expert Voice - BSF Cultivation in Poly Greenhouses

Feedback from Émilie Devic Ph.D., insect culture expert and consultant, Deputy Secretary of the Asian Food and Insect Association (AFFIA):

“Farming insects, particularly the species Black Soldier Fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens), under controlled environments is essential to ensure the consistency of the production and more efficient production cycles. Unlike traditional open farming, which may be subject to seasonal variations, controlled environments allow for continuous production throughout the year. The most critical parameters are the air temperature, relative humidity, and light conditions. The BSF adults are highly dependent on light spectrum and intensity to reproduce. Ideally, sunlight maximizes the performance of the animals, and specially designed artificial lighting may be used to compensate in case of low sunlight exposition. However, larval stages are photophobic and can be conducted under complete darkness or dim light. It reduces the stress and encourages feeding and growth.

Insect farmers in tropical climates may select greenhouses over classic buildings for several reasons. Poly greenhouses usually have lower CAPEX and OPEX and are more energy efficient. Their design can enhance the efficiency of heating and cooling systems, making the farming process more sustainable. Besides, these structures offer flexibility in design and scalability, as they can be customized to meet the specific needs of different scales.

For the breeding stage of the BSF, greenhouses can be used in other parts of the world, but additional artificial light might be necessary during low-sunlight seasons (e.g., autumn and winter).”

Emilie was part of the VEOLIA & ENTOFOOD large-scale (10ha+) BSF cultivation operation in Malaysia, close to Kuala Lumpur. This project is still regarded as the largest in the world with poly greenhouses.

In this operation center, 1 kg of black soldier fly eggs produces 6 tonnes of larvae in 10 days, which, once fed on organic matter, are recycled as animal protein. (VEOLIA Group).

LEADERSHIP COMMENTARY - LOOKING AT FRASS
Leveraging Frass As A Soil Improver

Maurice Dagenais, Director of Sales - Fertilizer with Entosystem, explains:

What is Frass Made Of?

Frass is the by-product of insect protein production. This product comprises the larvae's excrement, exoskeletons, and a small proportion of food rejects. At Entosystem, we've built the 3rd largest plant in the world where we raise black soldier flies to harvest larvae for treats, protein meals, and high amino acid oil for animal feed. It's a circular economy project. At total capacity, we expect to recover 90,000 metric tons of food waste and feed it to the larvae as they grow. Following this bioconversion, we are left with a product with a high carbon content, beneficial micro-organisms, and nutrients, making it an excellent fertilizer.

What Characteristics of Frass Enable It To Improve Soils & Substrates?

The characteristics of frass vary according to the following factors: insect species, feed, and manufacturing process. Despite specific variances, all frass contain plant nutrients (N, P2O5, K2O, Ca, Mg, S, etc.) and are rich in carbon and organic matter.

Our larvae molt several times during their growth process. Frass, therefore, contains their exuviae (skin/exoskeleton), which are highly concentrated in chitin. The scientific community increasingly uses and recognizes this molecule as a biostimulant to improve plant growth and natural defenses. In addition, chitin is used as a soil improver to help retain water and promote microbial life.

Frass also contains various micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi, essential to soil health and fertility. According to our analyses, frass Entosystem contains over 400 different micro-organisms, the prominent families being:

- Bacteria: Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Lactobacillus

- Fungi: Mortierella, Trichoderma, Penicillium, Talaromyces, and Laccaria

Are Greenhouse Growers Using Frass These Days? Do You See a Growing Interest in The Future, and Why?

Frass production is still in its infancy worldwide, so access is limited. Some production is used as an ingredient in commercial greenhouse potting soils. In addition, some cannabis growers regularly use frass as a top dress.

Our agronomy team is conducting trials that demonstrate the potential use of this fertilizer on several crops in greenhouses and field crops, with very good results.

Thanks to its properties, we expect the use of frass in greenhouses to grow in the coming years, not only in organic crops but also in conventional crops.

LOOKING AHEAD
Future Opportunities

Insect farming in controlled environments represents a convergence of sustainable protein production and innovative agricultural practices. By leveraging the benefits of CEA, this emerging sector offers solutions to multiple challenges facing the global food system. The valorization of insect frass further enhances the sustainability profile of this industry, creating a model of circular economy in agriculture.

As technology advances and consumer acceptance grows, insect farming is poised to play an increasingly significant role in global food security and sustainable agriculture. Integrating these systems into agricultural landscapes and urban environments could reshape our approach to food production, waste management, and resource utilization in the coming decades.

FURTHER READING
Complementary Sources:

Animal feed revolution: black soldier fly growing under greenhouses (Horti-Generation, 2019)

Bioconversion: recovery of biowaste as animal protein (Veolia Group)

Entosystem Inaugurates Its Insect Production Facility (Igrow News, 2023)

Insects as food and medicine: a sustainable solution for global health and environmental challenges (Aidoo and al., 2023)

Insect Farming’s Role In Food Production: Growth, Challenges & Perspectives (Igrow News, 2024)

The Global Protein Challenge (Veolia Bioconversion)

Use of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae processing residue in peat-based growing media (Setti and al., 2019)