Fly-Farming

AgriProtein is pioneering waste-to-nutrient recycling technology to up-cycle organic waste into high-protein animal feed using fly larvae. The world’s biggest fly-farmer, it builds and operates its own fly-factories and licences set-up and operation by others.

How it works

• Organic food waste is transported to a fly-factory for processing
• Bred on an industrial scale, the flies produce larvae
• Larvae are fed on organic waste, recycling the nutrients into protein
• Larvae are dried and milled to produce insect meal
• Safe, natural, cost-effective alternative to fishmeal and a higher protein alternative to soybean meal
• 100% sustainable feed for the aquaculture, farming and pet food industries

Products

• MagMeal™ is a 55% protein, 100% sustainable natural organic animal feed
• MagOil™ is a versatile, natural, omega-rich oil for use in feeds
• MagSoil™ is a high-quality compost for use in farming and horticulture

The Numbers:

• 8.5 billion - Flies used in a standard AgriProtein factory
• 250 tonnes - Organic waste processed per factory per day
• 5,000 tonnes - MagMeal™ produced per year
• 2,000 tonnes - MagOil™ produced per year

Top 10 Facts about the BSF (BLACK Soldier Fly)

1. The Latin name for the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is Hermetia illucens.
2. Unlike houseflies, BSFs avoid human habitations and are not considered pests.
3. Unlike houseflies, adult BSFs do not have working mouthparts, so do not cycle between food sources and egg laying sites.
4. This means they can’t bite and don’t spread disease.
5. The BSF life cycle is short: 2 weeks as a larva, 2 weeks pupating and 4-5 days as an adult.
6. The adult’s only role is to find a mate and lay eggs.
7. After mating in mid-air, the female lays 500 eggs at a time which hatch after 3-4 days.
8. In 18 days, 1g of eggs grows into 5.7kg of larvae.
9. BSF larvae thrive in a wide range of organic matter.
10. BSF larvae have been shown to fight disease-causing pathogens such as coli.