Enorm Biofactory A/S is an insect farm located in Denmark. Founded by Jane Lind Sam and her father Carsten Lind Pedersen, it specializes in insect production for animal feed.
The farm spans 22,000 square meters and aims to produce over 10,000 tonnes of insect meal and oil annually, initially for animal feed, using 500 million maggots fed with waste materials like orange peels, promoting nutrient recycling and efficient use of agricultural byproducts and food waste.
Millions of black soldier flies lay hundreds of thousands of eggs daily in plastic cages, producing approximately 25kg of eggs that turn into 100 tons of wet larvae within twelve days, providing food for developing flies and future maggots. The finished product takes between 40 and 50 days to produce.
The finished product is a flour with 55% protein content, distributed across Europe for various animal feed, with potential for human consumption in the future, although cultural acceptance may be a hurdle.
The production of insect flour in Europe could reach one million tons by 2030, according to the Ipiff lobby, as the insect farming industry is expected to grow, contributing to the evolution of agriculture and substituting less climate-friendly options.
Importing soy for livestock feed in Denmark generated 7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2020, according to the University of Copenhagen, impacting the country's total agriculture emissions, which Enorm aims to reduce through its insect-based products.
Enorm started production with both public and private investments but currently has a modest order book due to it being a new industry, focusing on minimizing waste and recycling nutrients through the rearing of insects.
According to Aalborg University biologist Niels Thomas Eriksen, the barrier to accepting insects as food is cultural.
Sources: Taipei Times, Sud Ouest, Bilyonaryo, International Business Times, Watauga Democrat
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
