NutriFly – We make flies... the feed of the future

Christoph Beierl | May 30, 2023

Get a brief insight into the production process (in German)

Insects and the circular economy

The special thing about black soldier fly larvae is that they are able to convert almost any organic waste into valuable protein in around two weeks, meaning that the waste no longer has to be literally burnt up in biogas plants. Theoretically, even low-grade waste such as slurry could be reused in this way. However, the EU is still very restrictive in this regard: so far, it only allows the use of plant by-products from the food industry to be used as a source of nutrients for the larvae. In view of the huge ongoing problem of food waste worldwide, this should not constitute an obstacle to growth, at least for the foreseeable future, although a relaxation of the rules would certainly have a positive effect on costs.

Source: NutriFly

Competitiveness through economies of scale

Unfortunately, an emerging industry like insect farming cannot yet expect to compete on price with cheap soy protein, which sells for around 500 USD/tonne. Things look better when comparing to fishmeal, which costs around 2,000 USD/tonne. The prices for insect protein are currently still at least twice as high because they don’t yet benefit from economies of scale. However, NutriFly’s experience in Liechtenstein shows that there are indeed customers who are willing to pay this premium to obtain a sustainable source of protein. And fish farmers are also sometimes willing to pay higher costs in order to secure more sustainable sources of feed.

Expansion in planning

After the two-year pilot phase in Vaduz, NutriFly is now planning to start a new plant with a production capacity of approximately 2,500 tonnes, applying the experience they have gained in the availability and compatibility of different nutrients. Their goal is to achieve profitable production of high-quality protein, oil and fertiliser from the black soldier fly, while simultaneously making a decisive contribution to sustainable, future-proof agriculture. Although the company has already secured numerous purchase agreements through letters of intent, Nutrifly is still looking for investors in order to turn their vision of circular agriculture into a reality. Sadly, backers seem unwilling to take risks, even when it comes to highly sustainable flagship projects by European start-ups. However, we are hoping for the best and look forward to seeing the new plant up and running as soon as possible.

The face behind Nutrifly

Fighting food waste with insects: Franco Bargetze is fighting food waste with his idea.

“I always knew I wanted to start a business that would do some good in the world,” explains Bargetze. “But I had no idea that it would involve dealing with insects.” And millions of them at that.

Nutrifly AG
Schaanerstrasse 17
9490 Vaduz
Liechtenstein
info@nutrifly.li

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