Innovation Interview: INSECTFEED transforms olive pomace into sustainable protein for pig nutrition
INSECTFEED was created to address two major challenges facing the agri-food sector: reducing dependence on conventional protein sources, such as soy and fishmeal, and improving the valorization of olive pomace generated by the olive oil industry.
Through the rearing of black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens, the project aims to transform this agricultural by-product into high-nutritional-value functional meals for incorporation into starter feeds for piglets. The initiative combines circular bioeconomy, biotechnology, animal nutrition, and validation under real farm conditions. It also aims to develop a local, sustainable, and efficient alternative that helps reduce the environmental footprint of livestock production. The project is driven by a consortium comprising FAECA, CIDAF, INSECT BIOTECH, SAT HERMANOS CHICO and Evolution Europe, with the collaboration of the Estación Experimental del Zaidín, EEZ-CSIC and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid as subcontracted entities.
Thanks to this collaboration, INSECTFEED has secured a grant of €506,591.75 under the EIP-Agri Operational Groups programme. In this interview, we take an in-depth look at the origins of the project, its main technological challenges, and the impact it could have on pig nutrition and the sustainability of the agri-food sector.
What motivated the development of INSECTFEED, and why is it important to seek new sources of sustainable protein for pig nutrition?
Today’s agri-food sector faces the unavoidable challenge of producing protein in a much more efficient, sustainable way with a strong local focus. Animal nutrition continues to rely heavily on conventional raw materials such as soy and fishmeal, whose production and importation have a considerable environmental impact.
At the same time, Spain, and Andalusia in particular, generates enormous volumes of olive pomace, a by-product of the olive oil industry that is difficult to manage and is not always efficiently valorized.
INSECTFEED was born from the connection between these two realities: turning an environmental challenge for the olive oil sector into a nutritional opportunity for the livestock sector.
What opportunities does olive pomace offer as a substrate for rearing Hermetia illucens larvae?
Olive pomace represents a massive source of organic biomass that is currently underutilized.
Black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens, stand out for their extraordinary bioconversion capacity. They are capable of digesting complex organic substrates and rapidly transforming them into high-quality proteins and fats. By using olive pomace as the basis of their diet, not only is waste from the olive oil industry reduced, but the circular bioeconomy loop is also closed. In this way, a low-value agricultural by-product can be transformed into a high-value-added ingredient for the food chain.
What are the main technical challenges involved in transforming this by-product into a functional ingredient?
From a scientific and technological perspective, the project faces three main challenges.
The first is the pretreatment of olive pomace. It is essential to condition the by-product to improve its digestibility for the larvae and ensure substrate homogeneity.
The second challenge is optimizing the rearing process. The project will adapt the production parameters of Hermetia illucens to ensure that its biological cycle is highly efficient when using this specific diet. In addition, the supplementation of olive pomace with other local by-products will be studied to improve the final nutritional profile of the larvae.
The third challenge relates to processing and functionality. The project will optimize the technologies used to produce the meals, with the aim of preserving the insect’s high protein value and ensuring ingredients with suitable functional properties for the target animals.
What benefits could this solution provide in starter feeds for piglets?
The starter phase is one of the most critical periods in a piglet’s development.
During this stage, the animal’s digestive system is still immature and particularly sensitive, meaning it requires the highest-quality ingredients that are highly digestible and palatable and capable of stimulating feed intake. Functional meals made from Hermetia illucens offer a suitable amino acid profile, which the project aims to improve by increasing the content of amino acids that are limiting for piglets. These meals also contain bioactive peptides and medium-chain fatty acids with the potential to support intestinal health and improve immune response. All of this could facilitate a safer and more efficient weaning transition.
How will the digestibility, palatability, and zootechnical performance of the developed meals be evaluated?
To ensure the scientific robustness of the project, in vivo validation trials will be carried out both on an experimental farm and under industrial conditions. These trials will use starter feeds formulated with different inclusion levels of the new insect meals.
Their performance will be rigorously compared with control diets based on conventional ingredients such as soy and fishmeal. Palatability will be measured through the level of feed acceptance and the rate of feed consumption. Digestibility and zootechnical performance will be evaluated by monitoring piglet growth, feed conversion ratio, and various parameters related to intestinal health.
To achieve this, the project benefits from the scientific expertise and technical capabilities of its subcontracted partners: the Estación Experimental del Zaidín, EEZ-CSIC and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
What environmental impact is expected compared with conventional ingredients such as soy or fishmeal?
The project’s environmental benefits are structured around three main areas: reducing the carbon footprint, optimizing water consumption, and preserving land resources. Partially replacing ingredients that require transoceanic transport or place significant pressure on sensitive ecosystems would make it possible to develop a local, proximity-based alternative.
This approach could help reduce problems linked to deforestation associated with soy cultivation or overfishing related to fishmeal production. In addition, insect protein production requires significantly less water and land than traditional crops used for protein production.
In this way, INSECTFEED promotes a more sustainable livestock model based on the efficient use of available resources.
What value does the collaboration between FAECA, CIDAF, INSECT BIOTECH, SAT HERMANOS CHICO, and Evolution Europe bring?
The success of a project of this scale depends on a multidisciplinary approach. None of the participating entities could achieve these objectives independently.
FAECA contributes its representation and direct connection with agricultural cooperatives and olive mills. It is also responsible for project dissemination.
CIDAF leads the technical coordination and research into functional ingredients, participating directly in the development and characterization of the insect meals.
INSECT BIOTECH provides the biotechnology expertise required for the rearing and optimization of the larvae, as well as for the industrial scale-up of meal production.
SAT HERMANOS CHICO provides the real-world environment for livestock validation and the practical evaluation of results under farm conditions.
Evolution Europe completes the consortium with its expertise in the structuring, management, and reporting of innovation projects.
In addition, EEZ-CSIC and UCM participate as subcontracted entities in the scientific evaluation of the digestibility, palatability, and zootechnical performance of the functional meals in piglets.
What has your experience been like working with Evolution Europe during the development and management of the project?
Working with Evolution Europe has been a decisive factor for INSECTFEED.
Its experience in designing and structuring the proposal made it possible to submit a highly competitive application aligned with the requirements of the EIP-Agri Operational Groups programme in record time.
Thanks to its support and rigorous management, the project secured a grant of €506,591.75.
In addition, its day-to-day work significantly reduces the administrative burden on the other consortium members, allowing them to focus their efforts on achieving the project’s scientific and technical milestones.
INSECTFEED is an example of how collaborative innovation can connect different sectors to generate new circular economy solutions.
Through the valorization of olive pomace and the development of functional ingredients derived from Hermetia illucens, the project aims to move towards more sustainable, local, and efficient pig nutrition.
