ARTICLE 32 F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 insects because the mature insect does not eat, and has to live off the accumulated reserves. The black soldier fly is nature’s most efficient upcycler, and without doubt the best candidate for the job. PROVEN PERFORMANCE Sustainability and naturalness alone are not enough, however. For livestock farmers, key parameters in terms of animal development, growth, wellbeing and health drive the bottom line. Testing and scientifically-proven data are essential in demonstrating the effects and benefits of insect ingredients. In addition to the outstanding sustainable scores from the DIL Life Cycle Assessment, scientific studies demonstrate the excellent performance of insect ingredients. PROTEINX® IS VITAL TO MAINTAIN PERFORMANCE WHEN REPLACING SOY These results spell good news for the future of a sustainable feed and food system. Graphs show that replacing soy bean meal (SBM) in chicken feed with vegetable alternatives plus ProteinX results in the same wellbeing effect as soy, but with a considerably lower environmental impact. More specifically, an average inclusion of 5% keeps average daily gain (ADG in gram), feed intake (ADFI in gram/day/bird), slaughter yield (in %) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) equal while reducing the carbon footprint by 34%. The graphs demonstrate the important part insects can play in the future of a feed and food system that corrects the current imbalance. STRONGER TOGETHER The use of insects in animal feed marks a step change. Protix believes that industry-wide collaboration can bring about such change. The company’s approach is to make insect-based feed viable through a spirit of collaboration with like-minded and forward-thinking partners. To achieve the potential of insects in lowering the footprint of nutrition, stakeholders need to unite to expand their knowledge and work together to identify and test viable applications, substantiate (health) claims and bring about innovation. The company calls for industry players to pool their insights and knowledge for the greater good of the entire sector, and the planet. As an example of this, a consortium of players in the poultry value chain has joined forces in a public-private partnership (PPP) in a three-phase study. Protix, ForFarmers, PHW Group Dutch entity Esbro, Venik and Wageningen Livestock Research will work together to investigate how insect ingredients from the black soldier fly in poultry feed affect sustainability, health and welfare parameters of slow-growing broiler chickens. This new PPP supports the Dutch national Knowledge & Innovation agenda and the National Protein strategy as well as the European Commission Farm to Fork strategy – promoting a circular agri-food system with the use of sustainable and local ingredients. The range of feed raw materials could be expanded for chicken producers, although further infor-
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