Larval breeding for the production of feed for fish, poultry and pigs

Short description

The European import of protein feed is presently causing various problems. By means of the use of insect larvae, which were bred and processed to feed in Austria this effect can be mitigated and at the same time a higher value-added in Austria and a resource-efficient closed substance cycle economy can be promoted. The project is implemented by ARGE Larvenzucht: With residual substances and by-products, larvae are bred and further processed to become protein feed. The feed resulting from this process is analysed before, and tested within the framework of feeding trials. As this is one of the first projects of this kind in Europe the results are to be spread in order to initiate a turnaround.

Point of departure

Presently soy from South America and fishmeal are used primarily for feeding in European livestock farming. Imports increase the greenhouse gas emissions and result in a loss of biodiversity as a result of overfishing of the global oceans and the use of the rain forests as growing areas. The breeding of larvae for the purpose of processing them to protein feed directly in Austria can contribute to a solution of this problem. At the moment this is not very widespread in the European area, however, it will gain in significance in the course of the next few years due to legislative amendments. In order to pre-emt global players at this point, and to ensure that at local level, and within the framework of a closed substance cycle economy larvae are bred for feeding in Austria, the approach of this project is to develop already now an agriculturally relevant production of feed from larvae for aquacultures, as well as for animal production of monogastrics.

Project implementation and measures

1. Evaluation of utilisable residual substances and by-products as feed within the framework of larval breeding, and further development of the production technology
2. Conservation of larvae and production of mixed feed taking into consideration the effects of processing on the composition and on the usability
3. Feeding trials with larvae protein with fish and chicken as well as with pigs and chicken with residual substrates of larval breeding
4. Ecological and economic analysis of the feedstuff on larvae protein basis
5. Spreading of the results in agricultural and scientific circles of experts