INTERVIEW 34 Alternative Proteins Magazine April 2024 You talk about the largest insect production capacity in the world. Is this what you are capable of with your current size, or a size that will be achieved with the projects you have planned? What is the average production capacity you will reach with the completion of your facility in the US? As mentioned in the previous question, Innovafeed currently operates 2 production facilities in France for a total capacity of 15kT of insect proteins when all extensions are deployed. We inaugurated April 18th our First Insect Research Center in Decatur, Illinois, which will become one of the world’s largest facility of insect rearing with a potential production capacity of up to 60kT of insect proteins. Especially your facility in Nesle has a very modern and technological infrastructure. What can you tell us about the equipment and infrastructure at this facility? Nesle is the combination of unique in-house expertise and advanced technologies that have been developed over the last years and can be summarized over the three following expertise: • Insect Science: Genetics, zootechnical performance, and R&D to address the specific needs of Black Soldier Fly. • Data Science: - Advanced AI Analytics to identify key performance drivers and predict future production, Innovafeed opens its Insect Innovation Center in US Innovafeed, a global leader in the production of insect ingredients for high-quality animal feed, pet food and plant nutrition, inaugurated its North American Insect Innovation Center (NAIIC) in Decatur, Illinois on the 18th of April. This pilot plant is the first step of the rising French agtech’s industrial expansion to North America and aims to scale up production and commercialization of insect protein in the USA. Innovafeed breeds Hermetia illucens, also known as black soldier flies, in state-of-the-art indoor farms, while efficiently repurposing agricultural by-products from its strategic partner, ADM, in a pioneering zero-waste framework. This innovative process yields insect meal, oil, and soil amendment, which Innovafeed markets under the brand Hilucia™. According to ADM, the inauguration of NAIIC will be a milestone in Innovafeed’s expansion in North America. The choice of Decatur, Illinois, is not coincidental: located in the heart of the corn belt adjacent to ADM’s North American headquarters and the world’s largest corn mill operations, with hundreds of processing plants across multiple States, the region offers high potential for multiple sites to be deployed in the future. The broader area is also a historical innovation hub for the agro-industry, making it a strategic location for Innovafeed to serve its core markets. Since 2023, the company in partnership with ADM, already has commercialized Hilucia™ insect ingredients for the pet food market in North America. As part of this effort, ADM has invested in a comprehensive R&D study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with results to be released later this year demonstrating the nutritional and health benefits of its ingredients. Future opportunities with other types of animal feed are also being explored as part of the comprehensive partnership between the two companies. Read more>>
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==