Black soldier fly larvae are already turning food waste into protein, but UK regulations currently block the resulting insect meal from being used in most animal feed. This project aims to gather the safety evidence needed to change those rules. The problem is straightforward: the UK imports large amounts of soy and fishmeal for animal feed, both of which have high environmental costs. Meanwhile, millions of tonnes of organic waste go to landfill, producing methane. Insect bioconversion—using larvae to convert that waste into protein and fat—offers a circular alternative, but outdated regulations prevent the industry from scaling up. If the project succeeds, it could unlock over £1 billion in global private investment that has already been raised for insect farming since 2020. The immediate impact would be a new UK supply chain for sustainable animal feed, reducing reliance on imported soy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions from waste. Thousands of green jobs could follow, and the UK would position itself as a leader in a sector that hundreds of companies and over a thousand published papers are already advancing. The work is applied and regulatory: it does not discover new biology, but it removes the legal barrier to deploying existing technology at scale.
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Insects are nature's recyclers, turning waste into valuable resources. However, we've largely ignored their potential in our food systems. With a growing global population and increasing demand for protein, we need innovative solutions to reduce waste and make our food production more sustainable. Insect bioconversion, particularly using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), offers an exciting opportunity to address these challenges. These insects can efficiently convert organic waste into high-quality protein and fats, which can be used as animal feed. This process could help reduce our reliance on imported soy and fishmeal, decrease food waste, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The UK has several start-ups working on this technology, but regulatory hurdles are holding back progress. Current regulations prohibit using insect-derived products in most animal feeds and restrict the types of waste that can be used to rear insects. This project aims to: * Gather evidence on the safety and effectiveness of insect bioconversion * Engage with regulators to update the regulatory landscape * Unlock the potential for significant private investment in this industry. By addressing these challenges, we could create thousands of green jobs, making our food system more circular. With the right support, insect bioconversion could revolutionise our approach to waste management and sustainable food production, positioning the UK as a leader in this emerging field. Globally, over $1bn has been raised since 2020 to support the growth of the sector, with hundreds of companies developing technologies to support insect farming, with over a thousand published papers on the topic. This project builds on the work undertaken during the Discovery Phase to fully establish a regulatory science network to further inform insect bioconversion regulatory policy and practice, and contribute to a pro-innovation regulatory environment that benefits society. This will unlock the significant private sector investment needed to scale up the insect farming sector to realise the potential of insect bioconversion, which offers substantial societal and environmental benefits, including enhanced food security, reduced waste, and lower carbon emissions in our food systems, in line with key government priorities. It represents a unique opportunity to harness nature's own solutions to create a more sustainable and resilient food system for future generations.
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