Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • FREE Magazine Subscriptions
    •  
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Poultry News
    • Production
      • Broiler Production
      • Ducks
      • Egg Production
      • Game
      • Hatching
      • Housing
      • Turkeys
    • Processing
    • Business & Politics
      • Business
      • Economics
      • EU & Politics
      • Marketing
      • People
      • Training & Education
    • Welfare
      • Environment
      • Food Safety
      • Vet & Medication
      • Welfare
    • Feed
    • Genetics
    • New Products
    • Magazines
      1. July 2022
      2. June 2022
      3. May 2022
      4. April 2022
      5. February 2022
      6. January 2022
      Featured

      Protected: Poultry Business – July 2022

      By Michael BarkerJune 28, 2022
      Recent

      Protected: Poultry Business – July 2022

      June 28, 2022

      Protected: Finalists Supplement – National Egg & Poultry Awards 2022

      June 27, 2022

      Protected: Innovation Supplement 2022

      June 1, 2022
    • Jobs
      • Browse Jobs
      • Post a Job
      • Manage Jobs
    • Events
      • National Egg and Poultry Awards
      • Poultry Fair
    Poultry News
    Production

    Insect protein – making the case

    Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanJuly 12, 20195 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Poultry farmers have been pushing government to permit the scaling-up of production and use of insect protein in poultry feed.

    In June, a group of companies, industry bodies and research organisations came together to ask the government to support insect protein as a sustainable source of animal feed through public statements and cash investments.

    The group, who have formed Insect Biomass Conversion Task & Finish Group, have published a report that makes the case for the UK government to get behind insect biomass conversion. The members say they are committed to collaborating in order to deliver insect production at scale in the UK.

    Introducing insect protein to supplement common alternatives like fishmeal or soya provides a more sustainable way to meet UK and worldwide protein needs, avoiding unwanted land use change. In the UK, this innovative new industry could be worth £1 billion, the group claims, generating an estimated 3,300 direct jobs and 600 indirect jobs in just five years.

    The NFU is part of the group and its poultry board chairman Thomas Wornham says insect protein was a ‘transformative technology’ that could make a step-change breakthrough in the efficient use of resources in agriculture.

    The group’s first UK market report with a number of key recommendations:

    • It wants the government to issue a national statement of support
    • It urges the government and industry to support a central body that could drive rapid sector development for the UK
    • It recommends the government and industry should collaborate to secure dedicated funds to drive market development
    • It wants the government to lead on delivering insect biomass legislation and regulation
    • Short term fiscal incentives for early adopters should be devised and provided by government.

    “Our members are extremely interested in being able to source sustainable alternative proteins from closer to home,” says Wornham. “This is potentially a huge opportunity for the poultry sector and we in the UK should be leading on the development. It potentially cuts our cost of production, gives us access to a very natural supply of quality protein and improves our competitiveness.”

    Andrew Swift, chief executive of Fera Science and coordinator of the Insect Biomass Conversion Task & Finish Group says: “Insect protein production can be a big part of the solution to the global protein deficit for sustainable rearing of livestock. This innovative and ‘clean’ industry has huge economic and environmental potential. It is critical that Government acts swiftly to ensure the UK does not lose further ground in this rapidly developing global market.”

    The government has already dipped its toe into supporting the development of insect protein as feed. Last year it stumped up £571,166 (through the Innovate UK programme) to support a Cambridge-based business that specialises in ‘insect biomass conversion’. Entomics is rearing black soldier fly larvae on various ‘recipes’ of food waste to determine how each affects the bugs’ growth rates and nutritional profiles. It’s also looking at ‘microbial fermentation technology’, which could mean the livestock feeding on the larvae are more resistant to disease and, in turn, reduce reliance on antibiotics.

    Members of the Insect Biomass Task & Finish Group are: Fera Science (lead), Durham University, Entomics, Anpario, AgriProtein, UK FPPA, Zero Waste Scotland, (York, North Yorks, East Riding) LEP, British Poultry Council, Tesco, McDonalds, PFMA, NFU, Entocycle, CIEL, Humphrey Feeds & Pullets, AIC, NPA, Minerva, Multibox, Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre and Beta Bugs.

    The current state of play

    In the EU insect protein is currently permitted for use in pet food and aquaculture, and the species of insect that can be used and the organic substrates that they can be reared on are defined. According to Fera Science, European pet food companies are utilising insect meal, but not from UK insect producers.

    Live insects can be fed to poultry, but delivery on a practical scale has not yet been realised European pet food companies are utilising insect meal, but not from UK insect producers.

    The increasing demand for meat and fish products (especially in Asia, expected to see 78% increase in meat & seafood demand from 2017 to 2050 according to Asia Research and Engagement) puts pressure on our current animal feed protein sources such as soy and fishmeal. This combined this with the limited availability of fertile land means that increased meat production will have considerable impacts on the environment. Primary protein production needs to increase by 50% until 2050 to meet this demand and today 85% of arable land is already in use.

    Insects are able to recover nutrients from organic residues and bring them back into the food value chain, thereby contributing to a circular economy. Since no fertile land is needed for their production, they are a promising and sustainable new source of protein compared to today’s main alternatives. Some insect species, such as the black soldier fly, are well-suited for growth on large scale.

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleAnalysis: A Lidl bit confusing
    Next Article Bolton chicken kebab business fined £22,000 for health violations
    Chloe Ryan

    Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

    Read Similar Stories

    Egg Production

    Free-range producers prepare to market eggs as barn as housing order continues

    March 16, 2022
    Egg Production

    Improving eggshell quality

    March 16, 2022
    Broiler Production

    Technical feature: aiding digestion

    March 16, 2022
    Most Read

    NFU calls for urgent action to prevent rising costs impacting British food production

    June 30, 2022

    Gressingham staff Race to the King for fundraiser

    June 30, 2022

    BASF launches rural rodent control training programme and CPD portal for UK farmers

    June 29, 2022
    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Farm Contractor
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
    explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
    ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
    tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo