In January, Community Engagement organised an Insect Feed Tour to biotechnology company Insect Feed Technologies, where participants learnt about food composting aided by black soldier flies. Prior to the event, the portfolio conducted a briefing to share about food waste as well as how black soldier flies and micro-organisms accelerate decomposition.
In groups of five to eight, participants underwent a guided tour by the hosts of Insect Feed Technologies. The tour featured different stations, such as Hatching (where new insect larvae breed and hatch); Larvae feed (where food waste is fed to the larvae) and Food Processing Plant (grinder where flies are converted into food mix).
By feeding on pre-consumer food waste, black soldier fly larvae transform into a protein-dense animal feed that can replace unsustainable traditional animal feed. As an added bonus, frass is produced as a by-product of the process, which is chockful of nutrients that makes it the perfect organic fertiliser for crops. Some advantages of black soldier flies include how they have a high growth rate and adaptable to different environments.
Many participants were inspired by the passionate and knowledgeable staff members of Insect Feed Technologies. The guided tour and collective sharing from participants made the experience, an educational and memorable one.