At the heart of the EU’s pursuit of agri-food resilience is protein autonomy – the goal to produce a greater share of Europe’s protein needs domestically, and in ways that are circular and sustainable. Insects, such as black soldier flies, mealworms, and crickets, offer an insect-enriched protein source that complements existing options without competing with them.
Secretary-General
IPIFF – International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed
At a time when Europe is striving to reduce its reliance on external resources and transition to a more resilient, circular economy, the insect industry can play a pivotal role in supporting such efforts.
As a sector that has attracted over €1.5 billion in investments and established over 150 production facilities, the European insect industry will not only strengthen the EU’s food security, but is already emerging as a cornerstone of its industrial and climate ambitions. Central to this evolution is the sector’s ability to produce sustainable, insect-enriched proteins locally – for both food and feed – reducing dependence on overseas imports, (e.g. soybean meal) and fisheries resources (e.g. pelagic species used for fishmeal production), and creating thousands of jobs across the continent.
While Europe has made important strides towards reducing its environmental footprint, food and feed production remain among the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy both acknowledge the urgent need for transformative solutions that align sustainability with competitiveness. Insect farming delivers exactly that.
PROTEIN AUTONOMY: FROM POLICY CONCEPT TO INDUSTRIAL REALITY
At the heart of the EU’s pursuit of agri-food resilience is protein autonomy – the goal to produce a greater share of Europe’s protein needs domestically, and in ways that are circular and sustainable. Insects, such as black soldier flies, mealworms, and crickets, offer an insect-enriched protein source that complements existing options without competing with them.
These insect-derived ingredients are rich in essential nutrients and are already being incorporated into both human food and animal feed. For feed, they are especially well-suited for aquaculture, poultry, and pig farming. For food, they offer protein-rich alternatives in specialised markets including sports nutrition and dietary supplements.
Local production of these ingredients directly contributes to reducing the EU’s dependency on imported protein sources, or fisheries resources that may be associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss, and long global supply chains. By contrast, insect farming in Europe supports regional protein cycles, making the continent less vulnerable to external disruptions and volatility in supply and prices associated with imported protein sources.
CIRCULARITY IN ACTION: FROM FOOD WASTE TO FEED AND FERTILISER
Insects thrive on underused biomass, including food losses and by-products from agri-food industries. This makes them ideal agents of circularity: They convert food losses into high-value protein, fats and organic fertilisers, such as insect frass.
The benefits are twofold. First, insects help close nutrient loops by reducing food losses and returning valuable nutrients to the food chain. Second, their by-products, such as processed frass, offer a local, sustainable alternative to synthetic or imported fertilisers – particularly important for farmers navigating rising costs and supply uncertainty.
By embracing these closed-loop systems, the European insect sector is enabling a true circular agricultural economy, fully aligned with the EU’s sustainability goals.
EMPOWERING EUROPEAN WORKERS AND REGIONS
Beyond its environmental benefits, the sector has a strong socio-economic footprint. To date, over 3,500 jobs have been created, including more than 1,000 direct roles in production, research, and development. The diversity of farm types – from highly integrated full-liner operations to decentralised models co-located with agri-industrial facilities – ensures that job creation is spread across rural and peri-urban regions, supporting regional economies and revitalising industrial zones.
IPIFF forecasts that the sector could deliver up to 30,000 jobs by 2030, provided that the right policy and regularity conditions are in place. These jobs span engineering, biochemistry, food technology, logistics, and farming, contributing not only to sustainability but also to industrial rejuvenation and European innovation leadership.
THE BARRIER OF INACTION: REGULATORY BOTTLENECKS
Despite this momentum, the full potential of the insect sector remains hampered by regulatory delays and limitations. Current EU legislation restricts the range of substrates that can be used to feed insects – excluding, for instance, food losses containing meat or fish. This limits the sector’s ability to maximise bioconversion and reduce waste at scale.
Furthermore, the market access for insect frass, a valuable organic fertiliser, is still not fully unlocked under EU fertiliser legislation. Its recognition under regulatory frameworks – as well as clearer pathways for its use in biogas production – are essential for enhancing both sustainability and economic viability.
A future-proof regulatory environment is urgently needed – one that enables the safe and responsible upcycling of food losses while maintaining high EU food and feed safety standards. Without such reforms, the industry risks being unable to meet growing demand or compete with less sustainable protein sources on the global market, while many companies would be offshoring their production outside Europe.
A STRATEGIC SECTOR FOR THE GREEN TRANSITION
Insects are not merely an alternative protein – they are a strategic asset in Europe’s broader effort to reindustrialise along sustainable lines. They are helping Europe reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pressure on land and water resources, and decrease its exposure to volatile international markets.
Yet, this sector remains in a critical scale-up phase. Like other capital-intensive, innovation-driven industries, insect producers face difficulty accessing finance, particularly in the absence of long-term regulatory visibility. Several recent EU reports and policy initiatives have repeatedly identified this scale-up gap as a key barrier to innovation in Europe – a gap that can only be bridged by public-private investment models, policy incentives, and strong political recognition of the sector’s role.
A MOMENT FOR BOLD ACTION
Europe has a unique opportunity to become the global leader in sustainable protein through insect-enriched production. The groundwork has been laid: Robust food safety rules, established companies, proven technologies, and clear alignment with the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, and broader protein diversification goals.
Now, political will must match this progress. Integrating the sector into strategic EU frameworks – including the Common Agricultural Policy, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the EU Protein Diversification Strategy – will ensure that truly circular and sustainable industries like insect farming are actively supported and positioned as key solutions to the interconnected challenges we face today.
To unlock the full potential of these new protein sources, it is also essential to promote their use and consumption by creating demand-oriented incentives. This includes leveraging binding tools such as public procurement requirements, as outlined under the ‘Promoting Demand’ pillar of our Policy Roadmap 2024-2029, available on IPIFF’s website.
The European insect industry is not asking for shortcuts. It is calling for a level-playing field, science-based regulation, and strategic investment to help deliver on its full potential – empowering Europe’s food and feed security with local jobs, circular practices, and global climate leadership.
About Christophe Derrien
Christophe Derrien is amongst Brussels’ public affairs veterans. With over 15 years’ experience in agrifood, he leads the IPIFF Secretariat. Derrien played a leading role in the establishment of IPIFF as an EU umbrella organisation back in 2015. He is in charge of coordinating the outreach activities of the organisation, regulatory developments (e.g. animal feed, frass, new substrates), as well as the general management of the Secretariat and membership. Furthermore, Christophe Derrien coordinates the activities of several internal working fora (e.g. IPIFF Working Group on ‘Feed Hygiene & Animal Nutrition’ and IPIFF Knowledge Platform on ‘‘new feeding substrates’). He speaks French, English, Spanish and some Dutch.
