In this episode, you will hear from Oliver Schlüter, the spokesperson for the Healthy Foods program area at the ATB, the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy.

We talked about the potential role of insect farming and insect biotechnology in connecting and leading the way in research and discussions about alternative proteins and new food systems.

Our conversation stemmed from INSECTSplus, the event hosted by the German Institute of Food Technologies this May, from May 12th to 14th, and co-created by the ATB, which will host the next edition.

Oliver highlighted that PLUS stands for plant-based, lab-based, unicellular, and sea-based biomass. Insects are the key to connecting these different organisms, contributing to circularity and sustainability in biomass production. He emphasized that while edible insects have made significant progress in research and acceptance over the past decade, there are still challenges. Initially, there was little knowledge of edible insects, and no legal framework existed for their use. Today, however, several insect species are approved for human consumption in Europe, and companies have developed expertise in insect processing.

"It’s essential to create a platform for exchanging knowledge and solutions across disciplines," Oliver explained. "Researchers from different fields can learn from each other’s experiences and overcome the hurdles they face together."

He went on to explain that ATB focuses on several program areas, including diversified crop production, individualized livestock farming, and healthy foods. He is the spokesperson for the Healthy Foods program area, where researchers investigate edible insects, as well as macroalgae, and plant-based foods. Additionally, they work on multifunctional biomaterials and integrated residual management, focusing on utilizing side streams from production processes to generate biogas or biochar, which can be used in agricultural fields. Oliver emphasized the importance of integrating these technologies into new bioresource processing systems to promote sustainability in the food and biomass industries.

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