BioMar signs partnership deal with black soldier fly farmer Agronutris

Feed producer BioMar has signed a long-term partnership with French insect farmer Agronutris to develop the next generation of black soldier fly meals specifically designed for the needs of the aquaculture industry.

Insect meal is seen as a promising new ingredient on a clear pathway to being widely adopted. A wide portfolio of insect meals design for aquaculture are entering the market.

“Black soldier fly meal has always been an interesting prospect that could be well suited for aquafeeds,” said Fernando Norambuena, global category manager – novel raw materials at BioMar.

“In Agronutris we have found a partner that shares our mission and dedication to reducing the environmental impacts of our aquafeeds. They have developed a scalable model for black soldier fly able to meet the nutritional and sustainability profile required by us and the industry.”

Feedstock sourcing

In a press release, BioMar said that through detailed attention to its feedstock sourcing, 12 years of R&D achievements, and significant industrial investment, the Agronutris solution is bringing a stable, high-quality product with a high sustainability performance demonstrated by a robust life-cycle assessment.

Agronutris has created an approach by which there is a clear vision of moving from a novel source of protein into an ingredient from a circular economy that has an impact at a scale relevant to the aquaculture industry.

“For insect meal to successfully make its way into aquafeeds, it must demonstrate high nutritional value and support good growth and health for the fish and shrimp,” said Chris Haacke, director of business development at Agronutris and former global aquaculture lead with alternative feed ingredient supplier Corbion.

“Our innovative product has a great nutritional profile that is well suited for the aquaculture industry. At Agronutris, we are working closely with BioMar to create the ideal product that will meet their ambitious sustainability parameters.”

Scalable model

BioMar’s global sustainability director, Vidar Gundersen, said: “A truly sustainable insect meal should be decoupled from the human food supply chain and fed off a substrate based on waste foods and by-products.

“With Agronutris, we see a viable, scalable model for producing black soldier fly meal that could see this product become a good source of nutrition in aquaculture.”

Agronutris has a pilot laboratory in Saint-Orens, near Toulouse, in the south-west of France.

In 2022, it established its first industrial plant in Rethel, in the north-east of France. The location was selected based on a significant presence of by-products that can be converted into proteins.