$6 million in funding goes to project diverting food waste to rear insects for feed

by

Enterra Feed Corporation, a company that produces insect-based feed ingredients, has received $6 million through the federal AgriInnovate Program to help increase the production of animal feed while helping to keep food waste out of landfills.

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the funding during a virtual visit at Enterra’s new facility, an 188,000-square-foot production facility, just north of Calgary, Alta.

“Our government wants to reduce food waste and we are counting on our entrepreneurs to help us get there. It is an important way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while helping Canadian consumers save money. The Enterra model is very promising, and our investment will allow them to continue their launch,” says Minister Bibeau.

Enterra has developed a proprietary method to raise black soldier flies, a beneficial non-invasive insect species that has a rich nutritional profile. The company uses food waste from local farms, grocery stores, and food production facilities to feed the insects, which are then dried and processed into animal feed ingredients or fertilizer for plants.

“Our sustainable approach of using pre-consumer food waste and upcycling the nutrients allows valuable nutrients that are often left unutilized or underutilized to be captured,” says Keith Driver, Enterra CEO. “The resulting products are high-quality feed ingredients with unique beneficial properties that markets are demanding around the world. This work is revolutionary and now Enterra is a world leader in harnessing the power of insects to feed and care for the world.”

Enterra is able to recycle more than 130 tonnes of food waste per day, and employs about 65 people.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Please register to read and comment.

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register