PROteINSECT's Final Conference - Institut für Welternährung e.V.

not to be picky but…

PROteINSECT is an EU funded FP7 project enabling the exploitation of insects as a sustainable source of protein for animal feed. Currently more than 80% of the protein requirements for livestock rearing in the European Union is imported from non-EU countries.

The project brought together expertise from China, Africa and Europe to encourage and enable the adoption of fly larvae protein into animal feed around the world.

The project’s research focuses on five key areas in order to evaluate insects as a novel source of protein for animal feed and wants to ensure that methodologies are sustainable and economically viable.

The development and optimization of fly larvae production methods for use in both developed and developing countries at small and large scale.
Determination of safety and quality criteria for insect protein products.
Evaluation of processing methodologies and the evaluation of crude and refined insect protein extracts in fish, chicken and pig feeding trials.
The determination of the optimal design of insect-based animal feed production systems utilising the results of a comprehensive life cycle analysis.
To build a pro-insect platform in Europe to encourage adoption of sustainable production technologies to include examination of the regulatory framework.

April 27, 2016, the project’s final (and sold out) conference will take place in Brussels. PROteINSECT will present its international work, findings and results to demonstrate and share the knowledge it has generated to enabling the exploitation of insects as a sustainable source of protein.

We are expecting the results with a great deal of curiosity. Especially since this project is funded under the premise that a huge amount of livestock will need to be fed in the future. But unsustainable sources of animal feed are not the only problem when it comes to present and growing meat consumption. (The project also aimed to research on insects as protein source for human nutrition in the long run but so far has focused on animal feed.)