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The next decade will show a significant increase in meat and fish consumption because of the rising population and changing diet preferences. As a result, fish farming is a rising economy in India. Fish farms in India are producing 52% of the total fish consumed daily. This growing economy faces some problems, as 70-80% of the farmer's investment goes into the necessary feed for nourishing the fish. As farmers rely more on feed such as soya meals, wild fish-based meals are unnatural feed for fishes. Ultimately, fish farming is becoming high-priced and detrimental to the environment day by day.

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming solves these problems. 

BSF larva survives on any wet waste. BSF larva grows by 3000 times in just 14 days (a larva consumes waste 1 million times of its weight, Day 1- 25 micrograms to Day 12- 0.25 grams). BSF larvae are rich sources of proteins and fats (~35-40% and ~30%). They also have an excellent nutritional profile containing essential amino acids and fatty acids, optimum P: K ratio, and low carbs. This high-quality insect protein is a major feed resource for chicken and fish farmers. As these insects are natural fish food, research shows a 25% increase in productivity and a 30% increase in growth rate for small crustaceans (shrimps) compared to conventional fish-based meals. 

Research has proven that waste reduction of up to 80% (by weight) is possible using BSF farming methods. BSF larvae eat out 25% of food waste fed to them, converting the rest into high-grade manure. Another advantage of the BSF larva is the inactivation of disease-transmitting bacteria. This is mainly achieved due to material reduction. BSF farming creates multiple products at multiple stages that can be sold in the open market, contributing significantly to farmers' revenue. Therefore, we are using these tiny friends for the rapid conversion of waste into value.

‍We feel that this is the most sustainable way of wet waste management to close the loop in every aspect.

BSF protein is not only useful for chicken and fish but also is beneficial for humans. We are well aware of the fact that one-third of the produced food gets wasted. It is no surprise that 20% of Indians are undernourished, and 70% show protein deficiency. This gap also opens multiple avenues for innovations. We have hired a team of students from the Biotechnology Department of KITCOEK to research protein extraction from larvae for making cookies.

Impact of BSF  

We are happy for our efforts to contribute towards some of the United Nations Sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as Goal number 12: Responsible consumption and production, and Goal number 13: Climate action.

Deliverables/Scope: With BSF farming 

• We can cater to the rising demand for rich protein all over the globe.
• We can produce alternative feed for poultry and fish farmers without harming biodiversity with only 1% CO2 emission.
• We can consume waste in the fastest way rather than decomposing or eliminating it.
• We can establish a bio-based eco-friendly waste management system.
• We can prepare feed that is significantly low cost.
• We can provide large employment in India to support the falling economy.

Research and Business model:

We studied the whole process and its different dimensions through various research papers and the guide published in 2017 by Eawag- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Research and Technology, Switzerland. This guide shows the details of the research, design, implementation, and operations of a pilot-scale BSF waste treatment facility in Indonesia.

My team collaborated with a local partner to validate the research and economic viability of the facility in Kolhapur. We understood various principal aspects in terms of implementations that were different for Indian conditions from European conditions: initial capital, machinery, operational costs, effects of climatic conditions such as temperature & humidity, sales figures of products produced in the facility, product standards, and regulations, etc.). When we started our experimentation, we failed on multiple occasions because of wrong execution and climate conditions. There were significant changes observed in the timelines of the BSF life cycle. Soon we understood that it is not as easy as it looks. 

Meanwhile, we also studied business models and plant designs of various facilities across India. Most of the facilities were failing because of the use of crude techniques and non-profiting business models. We soon understood that the economics of solely selling live/dried larvae and other by-products are not going to work. Therefore, we designed a business plan which also included multiple options in installing and managing plant setups (contract farming), focusing more on nutrient extraction from larvae and making valuable products from them. Some of such products are:

Collaboration with loopworm (Insect chitosan and protein extraction) and InsectProtein 

For extraction of protein and its certification, we collaborated with another company LoopWorm based in Bangalore that is working closely with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. GreenFile will be looking after plant design and installations, process & operations, service design, contract farming & supply the raw material for the protein extraction.

(These retail products will be produced and marketed by the base-the collaboration between three companies: GreenFile, LoopWorm, InsectProtein.)‍

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What did we learn through experimentation? The role of our machine.

In our experiments, we continuously analyzed the performance indicators of the system at various stages throughout the 45-47 days cycle. Temperature changes, lighting conditions, aeration, quality and particle size of feed, feed consistency, Humidity and moisture, the shape of feed tray based on the behavior of larvae, sound, and air quality, etc. at different stages play a pivotal role in overall efficiency and production rates of the plant. 

Our role is to ensure sustained production rates and the quality of products that are essential for the economics of BSF farming. WasteRab makes our job extremely convenient. It is a general claim that BSF larvae can eat ‘any’ wet waste. However, It is quite misleading. BSF larvae eat selectively from the feed waste. They do not eat fibrous and cellulose-based feed. Therefore, these long fibers, cellulose-containing parts, peels of citrus fruits (and other impurities like plastic, rubber, fabric, metal, etc.) in the waste feed are leftover at the end of 14 days that make the harvesting process extremely time-consuming and laborious. This loss of working hours adversely affects production rates. 

WasteRab rejects these non-consumable parts from waste up to 99%. It also governs the particle size and moisture of the feed that significantly affects the consumption rate of BSF larvae. Because of the consistent particle size, harvesting becomes extremely easy that greatly serves in achieving the designed production rates. 

Present and future plans

We have a facility that has a production capacity of 400 gm of eggs per month. Right now we are expanding our production units to accommodate the expected 100gm increase in egg production in November. We plan to expand this facility up to 5kg of egg production per month. We will be selling dry larvae, fertilizers, eggs at the rate of 30% of the current market price. 

We are currently working on the plant and process design of an enclosed automatic hatchery and production unit with the primary objective of analyzing the buffer time required to set the plant for sustained production rate and cycle optimization through experimenting with different wastes. This plant will be mainly used as a research & development facility. We also aim to establish and connect at least five plants in Southern Maharashtra by the end of Sept 2021 with few flexible options for the clients with post-installation services. These options are: 

1.  Setting up a complete plant at the client’s farm
2.  Setting up just a production unit at the client’s place with a constant supply of eggs or 5DOL larvae
3.  Setting up and operating an entire plant at our place, and supplying feed to the clients at a feasible rate. 

(I will update here as we move forward towards our goals.)