Neither fish nor flesh

Whether in house or livestock barn, flies are mostly just a nuisance. But from another point of view they could turn out very useful. For instance, Westphalia businessmen Dirk Wessendorf, Martin Ewering and Günter Wielens see flies as providers of nutrients and feedstuff in a world that increasingly needs more protein but requires protection from climate change too. One result of their collective vision is Europe’s largest fly breeding facility, producing larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) at Alstätte on the Dutch-German border.

The German state of North-Rhine Westphalia has one of the highest farm livestock densities in the country. Accordingly, there’s a high level of professional know-how in the associated upstream and downstream segments, from barn equipment and design over feeding through to slaughter. With this background, the entrepreneurs see promising opportunities for insect breeding and feeding as a new enterprise in farm production. After all, insects are increasingly discussed as alternative protein source in human and animal nutrition.  Even ten years ago, Dirk Wessendorf was sizing-up the potential of different species in this respect. He was specially attracted to the possibilities offered by the black soldier fly. The civil engineer was, and still is, enthusiastic about this tropical fly because its larvae feed on just about any organic material to produce protein and fat suitable for feed or food. In planning a professional production facility for the flies, he joined forces with the livestock barn constructor Martin Ewering and farmer Günter Wielens.

»The Hermetia larvae have an enormous metabolic rate and can utilise almost everything as their feed, including waste from the human food chain, or grain spoiled by mycotoxins right down to manure slurry«, explains Wessendorf. »Simultaneously they’re producing high-quality proteins and fats. So they’re not only dependable suppliers of important nutrients, they also help recycle waste material through digestion.« The undigested remainder of the larvae diet is then suitable for composting and spreading onto fields.  Another point: the larvae feed efficiency is substantially better than that of classic livestock. Compared with, say, common house flies, soldier flies invest all their energy in larvae production. We’re also talking about cold-blooded creatures here: »They don’t waste any energy in bodily heat production. Additionally, they produce markedly less greenhouse gases than pigs or cattle. From the creatures themselves, there’s nothing left over. Even the flies, that only serve as egg producers, are dried and used by the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of spray-on plaster, for example.

Alongside vegetable protein sources such as rapeseed or soybean meals, processed animal protein is very suitable for livestock nutrition. Present legislation says that living insects may be fed to monogastric animals. On the other hand, where animal protein is processed, EU law prevents its feeding to cattle, pigs or hens, a ban initiated through the BSE crisis. Nor, so far, are products from the black soldier fly permitted in the human diet under German legislation. Thus, sales of the Alstätte output go mainly to the aquaculture sector as, since 2017, insect meal may be used as replacement for fishmeal in rations. Additionally, some output goes to angler and zoo suppliers, as well as owners of snakes, lizards and birds. On top of this, Dirk Wessendorf markets via his firm »Illucens GmbH« not only the home-grown Hermetia larvae, but also supplies nearly all the relevant feed or food insects – from mealworms over crickets through to grasshoppers – live, ground, dried or deep-frozen through his online shop. He also sees an enormous potential for insect meal in dog foods. Right now, EU legislation allows insect-based products in pet rations. »Sustainability is an increasingly important theme in present society«, says Wessendorf. »And in this light, the present high proportion of meat in dog rations impacts the environment. Insect-based feed would substantially reduce the present ecological footprint in this respect. And let’s not forget, the dog is nowadays often a family member. As such, it should naturally be feed as healthily as possible. Insect-based feed permits this.«

Wessendorf, Ewering and Wielens are now hoping for a change in the legal framework concerning farm animal feeds. In fact, they strongly expect authorisation for insect protein as feed component for pigs and poultry in 2020. Trials at the University of Göttingen show that hens and pigs achieve growth rates on insect-based feeds at least as high as those achieved on conventional feeds.

It may indeed take some time before eating insects moves out of the exotic for most human consumers in our latitudes. In this respect, though, EU legislative framework is already in place under the Novel Food Ordinance introduced in 2018. So far, no types of insects are authorised as food EU-wide, although national exceptions exist. Even now in Brussels there lie several requests for authorisation in this respect – and the black soldier fly is mentioned here too. However, even with authorisation for food being granted, there’s still much to do in terms of educating consumers because, before general acceptance, there’s an aversion barrier to be overcome, at least in Europe.

As insect breeders or feeders, will farmers maybe have to fear the current vertebrate animal welfare debate spilling over into insect farming? »Naturally, nothing is impossible in today’s emotionally-charged discussion culture«, Wessendorf admits. »Realistically seen, however, insect breeding offers far fewer targets for popular attack under ethical and animal welfare aspects. As cold-blooded creatures, insects develop really well only when amongst large numbers of their own kind, as can be seen in natural conditions. Also, insects don’t possess a nervous system which means they have no receptors for feeling pain.«