Opportunities, challenges and solutions for black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production

TY - JOUR

T1 - Opportunities, challenges and solutions for black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production

AU - Siva Raman, Sharvini

AU - Stringer, Lindsay C.

AU - Bruce, Neil C.

AU - Chong, Chun Shiong

N1 - © 2022 The Authors. Funding Information: This work was financially supported by Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) United Kingdom through the Newton Fund Impact Scheme (NFIS) with project number 4B568 ( MIGHT project ID: 536423090 ) and BB/V003593/1, respectively . Sharvini Siva Raman is grateful for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship Scheme from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, with the project title: “Informing Policy on the Conversion of Palm Oil Waste into Black Soldier Fly Larvae-based Fish Feed: A Novel Income Stream in Malaysia".

PY - 2022/11/1

Y1 - 2022/11/1

N2 - Increasing global demand for animal protein combined with an urgent need to advance towards global sustainability, as enshrined within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has spurred the development of insects as a protein source in animal and fish feed. The acceptance and feasibility of these advances are nevertheless poorly understood. This study aimed to identify opportunities, challenges and solutions for black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production, through stakeholder interviews in Malaysia, analysed using thematic analysis and the analytic hierarchy process. The data identified 17 challenges, alongside 19 potential solutions, which we analysed under political, economic and resourcing, institutional and legal, and social and cultural categories. The need to establish a black soldier fly larvae-based feed sector has become important, but for black soldier fly larvae feed to make a substantive contribution to the animal feed sector, a more enabling environment is required. This includes improved support from the government, ensuring cost-effective investment and low operational costs, better coordination between regulatory authorities and improved consumer acceptance. Tackling these challenges from multiple entry points within each of the categories we identified could help to advance policies that advance progress towards the SDGs through the development of black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production, supported by the engagement of multiple stakeholders. Policy recommendations emerging from this study offer important inputs to inform black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production both in Malaysia and globally.

AB - Increasing global demand for animal protein combined with an urgent need to advance towards global sustainability, as enshrined within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has spurred the development of insects as a protein source in animal and fish feed. The acceptance and feasibility of these advances are nevertheless poorly understood. This study aimed to identify opportunities, challenges and solutions for black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production, through stakeholder interviews in Malaysia, analysed using thematic analysis and the analytic hierarchy process. The data identified 17 challenges, alongside 19 potential solutions, which we analysed under political, economic and resourcing, institutional and legal, and social and cultural categories. The need to establish a black soldier fly larvae-based feed sector has become important, but for black soldier fly larvae feed to make a substantive contribution to the animal feed sector, a more enabling environment is required. This includes improved support from the government, ensuring cost-effective investment and low operational costs, better coordination between regulatory authorities and improved consumer acceptance. Tackling these challenges from multiple entry points within each of the categories we identified could help to advance policies that advance progress towards the SDGs through the development of black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production, supported by the engagement of multiple stakeholders. Policy recommendations emerging from this study offer important inputs to inform black soldier fly larvae-based animal feed production both in Malaysia and globally.

KW - Analytic hierarchy process

KW - Fishmeal

KW - Insect production

KW - Poultry industry

KW - Sustainability

KW - Sustainable development goals

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137170441&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133802

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133802

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85137170441

SN - 0959-6526

VL - 373

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

M1 - 133802

ER -