Insects to feed the world
Updates from the Novel Protein for Food and Feed Flagship Project include new results from projects addressing food waste management using black soldier fly larvae and participation in the Global Symposium on Insects for Food, Feed and Food Security in Africa.
One of the innovation areas of the Novel Proteins for Food and Feed Flagship Project focuses on identifying, designing and validating processes to enable insect proteins for use as feeds. Updates from the last months include new results from projects addressing urban food waste management through the use of black soldier fly larvae and participation in the Global Symposium on Insects for Food, Feed and Food Security in Africa.
Beyond country boundaries
Insect farming is a rapidly growing sector with enormous potential to transform food and feed systems around the globe, and Uganda is one of the many countries embracing this opportunity.
Farmed insects like black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can convert local organic waste into valuable products, including high-quality protein for animal feed and aquaculture, as well as frass, a natural fertilizer. This approach enhances feed efficiency, strengthens local farming, and reduces dependence on imported feed and synthetic fertilizers—contributing to more resilient and circular food systems.
In June 2025, the first Global Symposium on Insects for Food, Feed and Food Security in Africa (GIFA) was held in Kampala, Uganda. The event brought together participants from across continents, all united by a common goal: to advance the role of insects in African farming systems. At GIFA, researchers, farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders discussed practical strategies for successful insect production in African contexts. Switzerland was among the contributing countries, represented by Maja Lermark Schøn and Daniela Peguero from ETH Zürich and Eawag.
In addition, the Department of Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development (Sandec) at Eawag have an ongoing project in Uganda, external page SWIFT, collaborating with Makere University and the BSF farm, Bioconvision. The travel to Uganda was therefore manifold: sharing knowledge with a larger audience at the symposium, engaging with current project partners to solve challenges on the ground, and visiting multiple local farms to learn more about the research needed to tackle the everyday problems that farmers and consumers deal with.
Beyond nutrition
To build more sustainable food systems for the future, upcycling low-quality organic biomass into something useful - like food or animal feed - is necessary. The industry of bioconversion using insects, particularly black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens), is experiencing global growth. However, producers face the challenges of feedstock-dependent physical properties of their substrates and the varying conditions of production. These physical properties include factors like particle size, bulk density (how dense or compact the material is), viscosity (how thick or fluid it is), water retention (how the material holds water), and aeration (how well air can move through the substrate).
The substrate not only provides nutrition and water but also acts as a habitat for both the larvae and the interacting microorganisms in the bioconversion system. Even slight changes in the substrate can lead to domino effects that influence larval growth performance (yield) and body composition (quality).
New research highlights how substrate characteristics - like bulk density and particle size - can critically impact performance in black soldier fly (BSF) systems. Results suggest that controlling physical properties of the feedstock can greatly improve the efficiency of the bioconversion efficiency. This means farmers could potentially produce more insect protein while using less feedstock, cutting costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The two doctoral candidates Adrian Fuhrmann and Maja Lermark Schøn from ETH Zürich’s Sustainable Food Processing group, are currently studying how these physical properties of the substrate affect the whole system over time. By learning how the substrate affects the larvae and the microbes, they hope to find ways to fine-tune the process to make it more efficient and get better results from waste. The research will help improve BSFL farming, as an increased understanding of the feedstocks allows farmers to manage different wastes and adapt to changing conditions, giving them tools to maintain reliable production.
Publications: Fuhrmann, A.; Gold, M.; et al. external page Physical Properties of Food Waste Influence the Efficiency of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Bioconversion via Microbial Activity. Journal of Environmental Management, 2025.
Storytelling to Inspire a Sustainable Future
Insects were also in focus at the Storytelling to Inspire a Sustainable Future event in April, when Maja Lermark Schøn was invited as a speaker, sharing stories about how we shape a more sustainable future and about finding and daring to follow our dreams. The annual event is part of Sustainability Week Switzerland, and organized by ETH for Development - ETH4D and ETH Student Project House.