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HomePosts Tagged "insect protein"
Acquaculture, Agrotech, Animal Health, Live Stock, Opinions

 By Ankit Alok Bagaria, Co-Founder, Loopworm

Though the cost of producing and processing insect protein is now higher than that of more conventional sources, such as fishmeal, the business is expected to grow and economies of scale could eventually result in lower costs. Efforts are being made to address potential obstacles and hurdles in order to optimize the use of insect protein in aquaculture feeds.

Insects serve as a natural and highly nutritious food source for numerous fish species, primarily in their native habitats. In the unspoiled ecosystems of rivers, ponds, lakes, and other aquatic realms, fish extensively depend on a diverse array of terrestrial and aquatic insects as a substantial component of their dietary intake.

The spotlight has increasingly shifted towards insect protein as a sustainable and environmentally friendly substitute for traditional protein sources in the context of farmed aquaculture and ornamental fish nourishment. This approach yields several prospective advantages, encompassing heightened feed efficiency, diminished environmental repercussions, and mitigation of competition for conventional protein resources such as fishmeal, krill meal, shrimp meal, and squid meal.

Insects, including silkworm pupae, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, and crickets, are teeming with protein, rendering them an outstanding nutritional source for aquaculture species. Insect protein offers a well-rounded amino acid profile, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients that cater to a diverse range of aquaculture species. For juvenile fish, insects play a pivotal role in fostering growth and survival, providing a high-energy food source that facilitates rapid development and progression. In essence, the incorporation of insect protein in fish diets stands as an ecologically responsible and nutritionally sound approach, offering promising prospects for the aquaculture and ornamental fish industries.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

 By Ankit Alok Bagaria, Co-Founder, LoopwormThough the

Agrotech, Animal Health, India, Interaction, Poultry

Soyabean meal is the dominant protein supplement used in poultry diets. But soybean production brings with it significant sustainability concerns, as it’s associated with destruction of natural grasslands and deforestation. Thus, from a sustainability perspective, replacing soybean meal with an alternative option must be analysed in detail. In conversation with AgroSpectrum, Narendra K Pasuparthy, Chief Farmer, CEO & Founder, Nandu’s shares his opinion on this matter.

What is the way forward for sustainable meat production in India & the related challenges?

India has been one of the early adopters of sustainable meat/poultry farming. The challenge is to get all stakeholders on board and scale up the eco-friendly, innovative practices at the industry level in the world’s second-fastest-growing processed meat and poultry market.  Once the industry starts seeing the economic value to sustainability, it’s possible to take simple but transformative steps – such as investing in solar energy and smart automation – to help reduce the poultry industry’s carbon footprint as well as empower farmers and consumers to make better choices.

Another pressing issue would be the exploitation of land to produce soya for poultry feed. Growing soya is extremely time consuming and resource intensive. 70 percent of the livestock farming costs goes into procuring animal feed, where the price and the quality are highly unstable. Hence, to tackle this issue, soya feed can be replaced with certain kinds of insect protein which is equally nutritious as poultry feed.

How is Nandu’s addressing these challenges?

As a leading hyperlocal, fully-integrated and omnichannel meat brand, Nandu’s has always been a step ahead in adopting sustainable technologies. We started with making our poultry production sustainable by adopting Solar Power. All our farms are powered by electricity generated from solar Photo – Voltaic panels which have been laid on the roof of the poultry house. These panels serve a dual role of forming an insulated roof that also produces electricity. We also generate biogas from poultry litter, thereby capturing methane, a deadly greenhouse gas, that could have escaped into the atmosphere causing global warming.

We have also seen significant value in embracing ecologically and economically sound chicken feed solutions. But the question is, can the Indian poultry industry reduce its dependence on soybean and pave the way for environmental consciousness and responsible consumption? Through our sister concern Feedwerkz, we were able to find a sustainable replacement for soybean in poultry feed. Urban organic food surplus is used to produce insect protein from black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. And the results have been remarkable! By replacing soy protein with insect protein, we not only bring down the cost of production of chicken, but also make a significant impact on the environment.

We also have our innovative eco-friendly packaging for all our home delivery orders, which has been a game changer in smart sustainable solutions that cater to the needs of consumers as well as the planet.

                                                                                                          By Manbeena Chawla

                                                                                                           manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com

Soyabean meal is the dominant protein supplement