Insect flour is being studied in Argentina as an alternative food for livestock farming

A group of specialists from the Bariloche Forestry and Agricultural Research Institute (IFAB, CONICET- INTA), in Argentina, participates in a Special Innovation Project (PEIS) focused on the bioeconomic development of an alternative food for ruminants, specifically lambs, during its fattening phase. The project consists of replacing soy flour with a food ration based on Hermetia illucens insects, known as the “Black Soldier Fly”, whose larva has a high protein content and can transform organic waste into high-quality proteins. The project, in which the Calibuí Agricultural Livestock Cooperative, the “Arreando Sueños” Work Cooperative and the INTA Rural Extension Agencies of the Bariloche Agricultural Experimental Station are involved, seeks to enhance the access of ranchers from Río Negro and Neuquén to new technological developments through food innovation. At the same time, it aims to improve the meat chain and generate a new product for sale and marketing. “We were looking for ...