GoTerra, an Australian firm headed by Olympia Yarger, is taking an innovative approach. They’re using maggots to turn on-farm and grocery store waste into sustainable, nutritious animal feed. This creative new process meets the critical need of waste disposal. Simultaneously, it aims to improve feed security in Australia. Global insect industry is on a trajectory to reach several billion dollars within the next few years. In answer, the local agriculture community is hell-bent on making their region an agricultural powerhouse.
Professor Kerry Wilkinson from the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, said there was huge potential for Australia’s insect industry. He goes on to note that it’s facing dire challenges. Chief among these challenges are public perception, biosecurity issues, and the absence of clear standards and regulations. Professor Wilkinson has brought together a national research team to address these challenges in a meaningful way. They are committed to improving the industry’s social licence to operate and solving the food safety challenges.
Research Initiatives and Industry Support
With Professor Wilkinson at the helm, the University of Adelaide has begun a $2 million research program. This initiative focuses on developing food standards and market opportunities for insect-based products while educating the public about their benefits. AgriFutures Australia is proud to have supported this research, understanding that it is important to lay the groundwork for a solid foundation for the rapidly developing insect industry.
Professor Wilkinson explains the critical need for regulations, stating, “When farmers are rearing livestock, whether for human consumption or other uses, there are lots of standards in place and we want to make sure the [insect] industry is protected by similar standards.” He further highlights the dual role insects could play, saying, “We can use them to manage food waste problems, but the insects themselves represent a really high-value and nutritious protein source.”
The insect industry has dreams of being Australia’s next agricultural success story, and proponents like Yarger are doing their best to make that dream a reality. “Even though as an industry it’s very young, we are constantly relying on international imports of feed ingredients to produce Australian produce and that is a sustainability issue, and it’s a sovereignty issue,” Yarger noted.
Overcoming Public Perception
Even with all of the potential and promise that farming insects holds, public perception is still the biggest hurdle to overcome. Professor Wilkinson acknowledges this challenge: “It might be a bit of a hard sell for us to convince people to eat insects now, but with some insects there is that potential.” Still, he thinks there’s a general direction for the industry that’s headed in the right place. “It’s an emerging industry… still relatively young but absolutely growing and increasing its footprint, and that’s really being underpinned by the amazing potential for what insects can do.”
If they hope to reverse negative perceptions, both education and outreach will be key. The research program has done important work advancing the development of safety and quality standards for insect-based products. It seeks to raise consumer awareness about their nutritional benefits. Stakeholders believe that through greater awareness, they can make it easier for consumers to accept insects as a reasonable food choice.
Addressing Feed Security
The groundbreaking approach to insect use in animal feed could transform the feed security landscape in Australia. Providing a more sustainable feed security future through insect-based solutions is doable, Yarger believes. With GoTerra’s technology, high waste diversion rates are achieved easily. Not only does it offer a renewable feed source but it helps mitigate many environmental issues.
The global insect farming sector is expanding quickly. If developed sustainably, it could represent a vital part of addressing Australia’s future feed security needs. Professor Wilkinson states, “It’s one of the most exciting opportunities in Australian agriculture today.”
