US — Cargill and Innovafeed have extended their partnership to develop and market insect meal to help aquafeed customers raise more sustainable seafood from 3 years to 10.
The agreement combines Innovafeed’s expertise in formulating precision insect ingredients and Cargill’s global animal nutrition capabilities to scale up the use of insect ingredients in multiple types of animal feed.
Under this new contract, Cargill will benefit from high-performance and sustainable ingredients for salmonids. Insect-based feed has become a competitive alternative to other sources of protein at all levels, including nutrition, production and sustainability.
The aquaculture industry is focused on its role in ocean stewardship and addressing the sustainability of food systems and reducing CO2 emissions in the aquaculture industry is core to the Cargill’s SeaFurther Sustainability Initiative.
Innovafeed is also committed to actions that identify and grow planet-friendly ingredients and leveraging its high-quality insect meal in aquafeed saves up to 16,000 tons of CO2 for every 10,000 tons of insect protein.
The expanded partnership will also include more species, starting with the use of oil derived from insects in swine feed.
Co-products of the agriculture industry are used to feed black soldier fly larvae. Once the larvae reach a certain stage, protein and oil are extracted from the larvae, which can be used in Cargill’s feed for aquaculture species, and young animals such as chicks and piglets.
This expanded partnership has the potential to benefit more than 20 million piglets’ diet by 2026 and demonstrates the strategic role the insect industry can play in transforming the global food model towards a more sustainable feed industry.
“A contract of this size and scope for insect ingredients in aquafeed is a first in our industry and marks a major milestone in favor of more sustainable and efficient animal feed, thanks to novel ingredients and insects more specifically,” said Clément Ray, Innovafeed’s co-founder and CEO.
Insect-based feed has become a competitive alternative to other sources of protein at all levels, including nutrition, production and sustainability.
The global insect-based feed market was valued at US$ 5.03 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 96.82 billion in 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 38.9% in the projection period.
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