Industrial insect farms are no longer a quirky experiment at the margins of agriculture — they are moving into the mainstream of how we think about food, feed and waste. Over the last two years, engineered systems that raise black soldier fly larvae and other insects have been built at factory scale, hooked up to food processors and even sited next to power plants so waste streams and excess heat can be reused.
These facilities do two things at once: they divert organic waste from landfills and they convert that waste into high-value protein, oil and fertiliser that can feed fish, poultry and pets — sometimes faster and on a smaller footprint than soy or fishmeal. According to The Washington Post, one of the largest facilities now processes millions of larvae and aims to produce thousands of tonnes of insect protein a year.
How the Science Works — and What the Studies Show
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are the workhorses of industrial insect farms thanks to their appetite and efficiency. In carefully controlled rearing systems, the larvae are fed food-industry by-products — from brewery spent grain to processing stillage — and can convert this material into larval biomass in days rather than months.
A major scientific review and perspective published in Communications Biology explains that BSFL can consume very large quantities of organic waste, tolerate a wide range of substrates, and be harvested reliably in mechanised systems. The paper highlights how these biological traits make BSF a promising platform for transforming low-value organic residues into protein, fats, and fertiliser.
According to the study, black soldier fly larvae can consume up to about half a gram of organic matter per larva per day under optimal conditions — a rate that scales rapidly when millions or even billions of larvae are reared in stacked trays or conveyor systems.
Beyond raw appetite, the real question for industry is efficiency: how much of the waste becomes usable protein? A 2024 review of metabolic performance found that, when measured as the fraction of assimilated feed carbon that ends up in larval growth, BSF larvae achieve an average net growth efficiency of roughly 53–58% under common rearing conditions—though substrate, temperature, larval age, and management all affect the outcome.
This metric is useful because it shows how much of the assimilated feed is converted into biomass rather than respired as CO₂ or lost as ammonia. Other metrics, such as substrate conversion efficiency, show wider variability since different studies define the start and end points of measurement differently. Together, these figures point to realistically high conversion efficiencies, but they also underline that performance depends strongly on feed mix and farm management.
Independent analysts and industry groups have repeatedly argued that insect bioconversion can be a meaningful part of circular waste management. Non-profit evaluations and sector reports highlight that BSF-based systems can reduce both the volume and greenhouse-gas impact of organic waste streams while creating multiple outputs (protein, oil, frass fertiliser). However, they also stress that scale, regulation, and market development remain critical gating factors. An industry review by ReFED found the black soldier fly sector to be the most advanced in waste-to-protein conversion and emphasised the need for integrated collection and feedstock strategies to capture real climate and cost benefits.
Inside the Facilities and People Driving the Insect Protein Revolution
The science is now reflected on the factory floor. In Nesle, France, Innovafeed has built what journalists have called one of the world’s largest insect farms, where robots, pipelines, and heat exchangers keep tens or even hundreds of millions of insects on rapid production cycles. The company pumps by-products from a neighbouring grain plant directly into larval rearing lines and uses waste heat to maintain tropical humidity and temperature — a coupling that both lowers operating energy needs and secures a continuous feedstock.
Innovafeed’s CEO notes that whether insect protein truly reduces emissions compared with soy or fishmeal depends on how and where the insects are farmed. The Washington Post reported on the site visit and included voices from entomologists and feed buyers, who described the farm’s scale and the practical steps managers take to maintain quality and biosecurity. Innovafeed aims to reach multi-thousand-ton annual production at its largest sites.
Not every story is smooth. Startups that promised rapid scale have hit financial turbulence, and converting customers to a new feed ingredient takes time and requires costly trials. At the same time, other enterprises are pursuing different models. Entocycle, based in London, is deliberately experimental and research-driven, operating pilot-level insect production under railway arches while developing measurement and automation hardware that could be replicated in industrial settings.
Entocycle’s founder has been explicit about the environmental case—arguing that soy-driven deforestation and fishmeal extraction are unsustainable—and about the need to industrialise insect farming with robotics and precise controls to achieve profitability and consistent product quality. Reuters covered the company’s lab and founder interviews in 2024.
Entocycle and similar innovators emphasise that industrial-scale efficiency, not just novelty, will determine whether insect protein is widely adopted.
These sites also highlight real human stories: technicians are learning new skills, farmers are trialling blended feeds containing insect meal, and feed-company scientists are conducting weeks-long growth and health trials in aquaculture pens to verify performance. Fish-feed buyers and animal nutritionists are testing insect-derived meals not only for crude protein content but also for subtle benefits—such as immune-stimulatory peptides, lipid profiles, and amino-acid balances—that can influence growth, disease resistance, and feed conversion in finfish and poultry. Several industry sources note that, while insect protein is often costlier per tonne than commodity soy or fishmeal, the value proposition can include environmental branding, reduced dependency on overfished forage species, and potential animal-health benefits. Feed companies like BioMar are cautiously purchasing insect protein in small quantities to study its effects and economics.
The Big Picture: Challenges, Policy Needs and Practical Steps
Insect farms unlock a powerful circularity: they turn a liability (food waste) into a suite of valuable products—and they do it on a tiny land footprint and in a short production cycle. But three major challenges stand between pilot projects and broad impact.
First is feedstock logistics: large insect factories work best when connected to steady, local streams of compatible waste (brewery grain, bakery offcuts, processing stillage) and when those streams are reliably tested for contaminants.
Second is regulatory clarity: many jurisdictions still limit which waste streams can go into animal feed or how insect-derived products may be used in aquaculture, and changing feed formulations requires safety studies and approvals.
Third is the business case: companies must lower production costs through engineering and scale while convincing buyers that the sustainability and performance benefits justify a price premium.
Journalistic and scientific coverage highlights each of these roadblocks while also showing practical ways past pilots have addressed them. According to experts, co-locating farms with food processors and using waste heat or other industrial synergies are among the most effective strategies to reduce both costs and emissions.
Below is a compact, factual snapshot that summarises core performance figures reported in peer-review and investigative coverage (presented here as a quick reference case study).
| Metric | Reported value (typical) |
|---|---|
| Larval intake per day (max) | ~0.5 g organic matter per larva/day |
| Net growth efficiency of assimilated feed | 53–58% (varies by substrate/conditions) |
| Example industrial target output | Multiple thousands of tonnes of insect protein/year at large sites |
These numbers are not magic: they depend on feed composition, density, temperature control, and how quickly larvae are harvested. But they are useful engineering baselines for waste managers, industrial partners and policymakers planning pilot projects.
Actionable Advice for Four Types of Stakeholders Follows
For waste managers and processors: run a waste-stream audit and pilot a small-scale BSF digester on 10–20% of your organic side-streams to test contaminant profiles and process stability before making a large investment.
For feed companies and farmers: budget for 3–6 months of performance trials when substituting insect meal into existing feed formulas, and seek partners who can provide consistent composition and certificates of analysis.
For investors: prioritise companies that secure long-term offtake agreements with feed buyers or utilities (for heat and energy symbiosis) and demonstrate repeatable, automated production rather than artisanal methods.
For regulators and policymakers: create clear guidance on permitted feedstocks, testing requirements for contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, PFAS), and fast-track pathways for demonstration trials that allow environmental benefits to be measured without compromising feed safety.
Industry and research articles alike emphasise that regulation and standardisation will either accelerate or stall adoption. Clear, evidence-based rules make buyers comfortable, and integrating waste collection, processors, and feed buyers is essential to capture the full climate and economic benefits.
Learn More: 6 Plastic-Eating Insects According to Studies
Conclusion
Industrial insect farms are not a silver bullet, but they are a real, rapidly improving technology that addresses two hard problems—food waste and sustainable protein—at once. The science demonstrates strong conversion potential under controlled conditions, farm pilots are proving the model at increasing scale, and practical pathways exist for integrating farms with food processors and energy systems to lower costs and emissions. The path to wide adoption runs through robust trials, sensible regulation, and serious attention to the logistics of feedstock supply. If those pieces fall into place, insect biomanufacturing could become a durable component of a more circular, lower-carbon food system. The technical foundation is already there—it is now a matter of policy, partnerships, and patient engineering to make it scalable and lasting.
