Did you know that Singapore was ranked first on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2019? The GFSI looks at issues of food affordability, availability, quality and safety. Singapore is heavily reliant on imported goods, and our journey to food security has been a challenging one. We have been trying to increase our local food production, as well as working towards the upcycling of food waste. In 2020, a total of 666 tons of food waste was produced in Singapore according to the NEA, which researchers are now planning to put it to good use.
Recently, an inter-disciplinary team of scientists, led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Professor Stephen Cairns from the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), was awarded a multimiliion-dollar grant from the National Research Foundation. Assistant Professor Janice Lee and Assistant Professor Joyce Ong from Asian School of the Environment (ASE) are of the team that will develop a model of circular bioeconomy for an urban system like Singapore, in order to integrate food waste management and sustainable food production via black soldier flies (BSF).
From left to right: Asst Prof Janice Lee and Asst Prof Joyce Ong from ASE
The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.), is a common and fast-growing insect species that can be found in Singapore; its total lifespan is around 45 days, with more than a quarter of it spent as larvae. The larvae of the BSF will be used in this project to transform food waste into animal feed and fertilizers, which can help to ease Singapore’s reliance on foreign agricultural imports. This will help to cut down on our environmental footprint generated in part from transport networks and agricultural production.
Black soldier fly larvae. Photo credits: Shutterstock
This proposed research includes collaborative research across five interrelated themes which are organized to address each objective of the conceptual framework.
- Engineering insects to break down food waste streams efficiently and using novel machine learning techniques in larval rearing
- Urban design and network concepts for integrating waste management and BSF bioconversion
- Conducting environmental impact assessments on both costs and benefits of the production and use of BSF-derived agricultural inputs
- Evaluating food safety and nutritive values of BSF larvae in formulation of animal feeds as well as the use of larvae rearing residue (frass) in the growth of vegetables
- Expanding industrial partnerships and establishing mechanisms to facilitate community involvement in food waste recycling
Local ecological systems will benefit in terms of environmental, social and economic aspects. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental footprints, increasing community awareness about food wastage as well as increasing the accessibility to more affordable, sustainable and locally produced food, are assets for an urban system like Singapore.
Asst Prof Janice Lee is a land systems scientist who will evaluate the environmental consequences of using products derived from BSF larvae food waste bioconversion as agricultural inputs in theme III.
Asst Prof Joyce Ong is a fish ecologist who will be involved in testing the replacement of fishmeal with BSF larvae meal for commercially important aquaculture species in theme IV.