Our MD Dr Nick Rousseau was out and about last week, joining fellow farmed insect protein enthusiasts at Aston University as part of a project funded by InnovateUK - with Agrigrub and Beta Bugs as industry partners.
The project aims to identify and address barriers to scaling up farmed insect protein, with a workshop attracting attendees including early-stage farmers, established businesses and consultancies who benefited from discussions with Aston business experts.
Speaker Joe Halstead, Managing Director of Agrigrub shared his vision for a sector that comes together to support one another with practical matters as well as building a presence that policy makers will take note of. Thomas Farrugia, founder of Beta Bugs described the different models for supply chains to operate and the pros and cons of each.
Each speaker drew interesting comparisons with other sectors such as craft beer and wind farms, and how the sector by could positively influence regulatory challenges, by building models of good practice that Government could then endorse.
Bin there, about to do that
A big topic of discussion was the new regs on food waste disposal incoming on 31 March 2025. The new commercial food waste legislation will mean that any businesses with more than ten employees will have to separate food waste from other rubbish streams, storing food in separate bins and arranging licensed collections. Similar requirements will apply to Local Authorities from March 2026.
These are part of Defra’s simpler recycling plans that aim to improve recycling rates, simplify waste management, and benefit the environment. Mandatory food waste separation should ensure less waste food makes its way to landfill sites and is instead disposed of responsibly.
Nick said: ‘It was great to find that our aims at UKEIA are so aligned with the sector. We debated the need for collaboration to reduce duplication, especially given the current troughs in the insect farming sector in Europe – we have an opportunity in the UK to learn from their challenges. It was useful to step back and consider how the future might shape out in different scenarios, and what we can do to influence those.
‘Aston provided a useful framework to explore the factors affecting the sector and then considering their relative importance and potential for change, and different scenarios looking forward.’
‘It was an interesting exercise which highlighted that issue considered most important was the current regulatory framework and the level of fragmentation vs collaboration in supply chains. Given what we are seeking to do at UKEIA, it was encouraging to see how much importance everyone attached to collaboration and working together across the sector.
If you’re interested in contributing to this incredibly important conversation, come along to Nest 1.0 – with heavily discounted tickets available to UKEIA members.
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