MYGroup has announced that its first Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farm will be opening in January 2025 in Yorkshire, England. The new farm continues the company’s investment into the potential of BSF for the dual applications of sustainable waste management and protein production for animal feed.
England-based MYGroup has unveiled that its first Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farm is set to open in January 2025, at its The Maltings site in South Milford, Yorkshire. The move will further expand the site’s leading-edge facilities focused on the species and reinforce the company’s position as a pioneer in the ‘edible insect’ sector, MYGroup states.
The new farm continues MYGroup’s investment into the potential of BSF for the dual applications of sustainable waste management and protein production through a process called insect bioconversion.
Bioconversion involves feeding organic waste to BSF larvae, which consume and metabolise the material into a series of byproducts, including “frass”, a substance that can be used as organic fertiliser, as well as various nutrient-rich proteins. These proteins serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources such as fishmeal for use in the poultry, swine, pet and aquatic feed industries.
Global demand for sustainable alternative proteins is on the increase, driven by ever-increasing pressure on traditional food systems, environmental concerns and growing populations. This is fuelling a growing “edible insect” sector, with proteins produced through the bioconversion of insect species such as the BSF offering an effective, low-carbon solution for meeting the increasing demand for animal and, in time, human diets.
“Our developing work with BSF is bridging the gap between waste management and the rapidly growing protein production industry. Breeding and rearing larvae in-house is a critical step in putting our business at the forefront of this transformative sector. Insects might not be everyone’s cup of tea just yet, but they’re undeniably efficient, sustainable and soon to be the heroes of the future food system,” says Steve Carrie, Group Director of MYGroup.
MYGroup explains it has been at the forefront of this sector, working with BSF for a number of years to bring an insect protein meal product derived from the species’ proteins to the aquatic feeds market. The company also has a strategic collaboration with Fera Science, a UK company in agri-food science research.
Setting up its own BSF farm now allows the company to fully integrate and scale its bioconversion operations as a closed-loop, circular process linking waste recovery with sustainable food systems and reducing dependency on external suppliers, all while diverting the processed food waste from landfills and mitigating the emissions associated with other forms of disposal.