Tours, France-based insect research facility the Institute for Research on Insect Biology (IRBI) and Paris, France-based global insect feed producer Innovafeed recently announced “The FrenchFly Project,” which will explore using French black soldier flies (BSF) as a base for aquaculture feed products.
In a release by Innovafeed, the two companies said they were “joining forces to create Frenchfly to unlock the final scientific and technological barriers to sustainable insect protein production in France.”
The academic-industrial partnership is backed by Bpifrance and the “I-Démo” program, the release said and is funded by the French government as a part of the France2040 investment plan.
“The biology of insects is fascinating: at IRBI, we study how they grow, reproduce, and interact with both their peers and their environment,” University of Tours professor and researcher in biology and ecology Christophe Bressac said. “Thanks to FrenchFly, the different levels of insect biology, from genome to populations, are being integrated into food systems. The synergy with Innovafeed will provide precise insights to optimize the life cycle of this new farmed species while minimizing its environmental footprint.”
Innovafeed added that the “FrenchFly consortium,” will be shared through academic publications, specialized conferences, and European professional networks.
“In a context where some historical players in the sector are facing challenges, it is more important than ever to support structuring initiatives capable of completing the demonstration of the model and securing the future of this strategic industry for France,” the release said.
Innovafeed will utilize the company’s ability to bring commercial models to scale for industrial deployment, while IBRI will utilize its scientific foundation to continue research on BSF’s applicability for insect feed used in aquaculture.
“This partnership between Innovafeed and IRBI is a major accelerator for the generation of scientific knowledge,” Director of Innovafeed’s research center in Gouzeaucourt Mathieu Vanderstraete said. “The synergy between our respective areas of expertise enables us to broaden and deepen our understanding of Hermetia illucens biology, while promoting the sharing and valorization of this knowledge for the benefit of the entire insect industry ecosystem.”
The two organizations plan to address the key scientific and technological challenges that limit the large-scale industrial deployment of insect feed, the release said.
