In this episode, you will hear from Cameron Richards, president of AFFIA, the Asian Food and Feed Insect Association, and senior manager at Veolia in the R&D innovations team.

We talked about the current state of insect farming in Asia, with a special focus on findings from AFFIA’s ongoing survey, which is mapping production capacities, business models, and market dynamics across the region. As he said, while companies often advertise their capacities to attract investors, the survey is shedding light on the more realistic picture of the sector.

AFFIA supports its members by facilitating networking, collaborations, and funding opportunities:

“We are building a community around insects for food and feed in Asia” Cameron said. “Supporting collaboration, and helping companies secure funding to grow sustainably.”

Cameron also discussed the potential of specialization, noting that some companies are beginning to focus on specific parts of the production chain, such as egg production or feed processing, a trend that mirrors other industries and could accelerate sector growth.

Finally, we explored the emerging topic of frass — insect residuals used as fertilizers. A growing opportunity, particularly in Asia, where local markets and agricultural demand make it easier to sell and experiment with new applications.

My name is Umberto Diecinove, I am a documentary photographer and I am currently leading a project titled I N S C T S which explores the potential role of insects in addressing environmental and social challenges. I’m doing it traveling, photographing research centres, farms, communities and companies all over the world and engaging with world experts, visionary entrepreneurs, activists and people working in the field. I do believe insects could be the next game changer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, you will hear from Hidaya Taufek, senior lecturer in animal nutrition and feed technology at the University of Malaya.

With Hidaya, we discussed insect farming as an inclusive activity for small farmers and students, the valorization of palm oil waste, the challenges posed by the absence of regulations on substrates, and even blind taste tests that revealed surprising flavors in fish fed with insect meal.

For the past decade, Hidaya has been studying insects as alternative protein sources in aquaculture. Current feed for fish often contains around 30% fishmeal, an unsustainable ingredient linked to overfishing and competition with human food resources like soy and corn. Hidaya explained that their research shows fishmeal use can be reduced by up to 50% when replaced with insect protein, without compromising growth or health. In fact, by supplementing diets with black soldier fly meal and small amounts of seaweed, the fish developed a distinct and appealing flavor profile, reminiscent of the briny taste of algae.

Beyond the lab, Hidaya works closely with local communities. Farmers often visit her university to learn how to rear black soldier flies at small scale, using them both to manage waste and to provide additional protein for their animals.

"It’s not just about producing alternative protein — it’s also about valorizing waste and empowering communities," she explains.

At the same time, Hidaya leads a social enterprise called Insective Lab, which involves underprivileged students and combines insect farming with scientific research, community engagement, and education.

Hidaya also points out that in Southeast Asia, large-scale insect production is often tied to palm oil waste, a resource unavailable to small farmers who must rely instead on food waste. This presents challenges, since nutritional quality can vary, and without existing regulations it is up to each farmer to carefully choose substrates that can be used safely.

We are facing enviromental and social challenges. I decided to explore how insects can address global issues through local solutions.

My name is Umberto Diecinove, I am a documentary photographer and I am currently leading a project titled I N S C T S which explores the potential role of insects in addressing environmental and social challenges. I’m doing it traveling, photographing research centres, farms, communities and companies all over the world and engaging with world experts, visionary entrepreneurs, activists and people working in the field. I do believe insects could be the next game changer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.