The animal feed industry faces urgent demands for sustainability and food security, making the search for new sources of protein a priority. The growing demand for proteins, together with the pressure to reduce the environmental impact of livestock production has led experts to explore more efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives. Among these options, insects are emerging as a promising innovative solution, capable of supplying up to nine times more protein than beef and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land use in comparison to traditional protein sources.

Insects such as the black soldier fly, crickets and mealworms have high nutritional value and are excellent converters of organic matter into quality protein. Besides, they need less space and resources, which makes them a sustainable alternative for animal feed, in line with the global objectives of the circular economy and food waste reduction.

This ground-breaking solution will be analysed in greater depth on 7 April 2025 at 15:00 (CET) during the webinar Insects as an Alternative Source of Animal Protein. This online event with free registration will gather experts who will discuss the impact, challenges and opportunities for the use of insects in animal nutrition.

Speakers include two former students of CIHEAM Zaragoza: Nathaly Villarroel, feed product manager of Disproquima, who will talk about the industrial developments and commercial applications of this protein source; and Hakim Bergoug, from Animal Innovation Services (AIS) and former director of R&D in animal nutrition at InnovaFeed, a leading biotechnology company in insect production for animal and plant nutrition, who will present innovations and trends in the rearing and processing of insects for animal feed. The panel of experts includes Manuel Fondevila, professor of Animal Nutrition at the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Zaragoza, and scientific coordinator of the Master of Animal Nutrition, who will share his academic and scientific insight into the use of insects in animal nutrition, and Juan José Pascual, professor and researcher in Animal Nutrition of the Polytechnical University of Valencia (UPV), who will talk about the development of synthetic proteins for more sustainable animal feeding. Andrés Schlageter, coordinator of the area of Animal Production and Welfare at CIHEAM Zaragoza and academic coordinator of the Internacional Master in Animal Nutrition, will chair the session and guide the debate on the future of this feed alternative.

If you want to know more about the insects that are revolutionising the agrifood sector and how they can contribute to a more sustainable future, don’t miss this learning and networking opportunity with experts in the sector.