Flybox, a UK-based agri-tech company, is launching the first complete modular insect farm in the UK, with over £1m in grants from Innovate UK and the European Union and additional funding worth over €2m. Flybox's groundbreaking modular technology will unlock the tremendous benefits of insect farming for the entire food supply chain by enabling the deployment of modular insect tech on-site where waste is produced.
By 2030, the world will be 60 million tons short of protein. By 2050, animal feed demand will double. Climate extremes, economic shocks, and soaring food and fertilizer prices will create havoc for food producers.
The Flybox Grow is their first modular unit suitable for market use. It offers a holistic approach to waste management on an international level for food producers, retailers, and farms. Moreover, it provides high-quality feed and fodder for farmers, with the capacity to take up 20+ Flybox Grow containers per site, which can reduce up to 6,500 tons of waste and save 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year—which amounts to the yearly emissions of 1,200 people in the UK.
Flybox is currently constructing an end-to-end modular insect farm in Aylesbury, UK. This cost-effective and adaptable unit could revolutionize the food industry by providing customized Black Soldier Fly breeding, nursery, growing, waste management, and product processing solutions. Once ordered, the farm will be assembled nearby and taken to the desired location. With an animal feed market worth €510bn and a fertilizer sector valued at €284bn, Flybox's innovative technology can benefit these markets.
"Flybox aims to ease access to insect-farming technology, moving away from the era of exclusively centralized insect-farming facilities," says CEO Andrea Jagodic. "Now is the time for the industry to open up and offer solutions directly to waste and food producers—including the developing world."
Despite Europe's advanced waste management systems, such as biogas production and composting, Sub-Saharan Africa needs to catch up in waste management, generating 14,000 tonnes of consumer food daily. Using Flybox, governments in developing countries can finally modernize their food waste policies while benefiting the environment, society, and economy.
"We have a choice: act now to save lives and invest in solutions that secure food security, stability, and peace for all, or see people around the world facing rising hunger." - World Food Programme.
Several successful projects in Kenya and the UK in partnership with local companies, NGOs, and governments have paved the way for Flybox's big breakthrough. As a result, Flybox is poised to accelerate the transition to circular agriculture by unlocking insect-tech solutions for food producers, retailers, and farmers worldwide.
insect farming, agriculture, food waste, food production
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