We are developing an industrial system to produce protein meal for farmed animals based on housefly larvae fed on the by-products of the Food Industry.

2. When we talk about “feeding the planet”...

3. the 9 billion people expected to crowd the world by 2050.
...we always refer to the challenge of feeding

4. Only few are aware of the 100 billion chickens...

5. ...and 160 billion farmed fishes
which will be needed to be fed annually to meet the challenge

6. Current feed solutions heavily impact precious land and ocean resources
1/3 of cropland1/4 of the annual fish catch
which could be better earmarked for human nutrition.

7. The idea

8. In this context we aim to develop an industrial system
based on the lifecycle of houseflies

9. ...to convert the by-products and organic waste of the Food Industry
into protein meal for farmed animals.

10. The meal is obtained by drying the fly larvae grown and fed on the by-products
and has quite the same nutritional properties as fishmeal...

11. obtained by drying and milling fresh fish catch (e.g. Peruvian anchovies).
...which is the best and most expensive protein meal available

12. However it will be sold at a considerably lower price
$$$
and produced without competing with humans in terms of sourcing proteins.
$$$$$

13. How it works

14. inside a network of compact, automated, efficient biofactories...
We plan to organize the job of millions of flies

15. by-products fly eggs maggots
...where the fly larvae (maggots) grow on a nutritious substrate made out of by
products like potato peel, defective fruit, scraps of vegetable processing, etc.

16. by-products fly eggs maggots
protein meal
fertilizerThe maggots are then harvested, dried and milled into protein meal.
The remaining digested substrate is an excellent natural fertilizer.

17. Each bio factory will be installed, close (<20km) to where the organic by-products are available
in order to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

18. Our biofactories will be spread all over Europe based on a principle of distributed manufacturing.

19. The meal will be sold to the producers of compound feeds...

20. ...who will include it in their formulations (inclusion ranges from 10% to 30%)
as a high quality protein complement.
10-30%

21. The first plant

22. In 2 years we will develop a plant with a
production capacity of 3 tons per day...

23. 3500 tons 1050 tons 2200 tons
by-product processed protein meal natural fertilizer
...and an annual yield which is significant for this kind of market

24. 2.600.000 tons/year
The potential demand for insectmeal in Europe today,
only considering fish and poultry, is about 2.6 million tons per year.

25. FOUNDER, Ruggeri Family, owners of the Insect Farm Microvita Srl.
FOUNDER, Federico Casotto, Design Manager and Food Specialist for
Design Group Italia
the Microvita 2050 team

26. the Microvita 2050 team
Davide Di Domenico, entomologist
Carlo Gasperini, mechanical engineer
Laura Gasco, feed researcher at Turin University

27. federico.casotto@microvita2050.com