Located at the end of a small country road in Denmark is the “Enorm” factory, an insect farm established by a Danish woman with the goal of transforming livestock feed production.
Jane Lind Sam and her father, Carsten Lind Pedersen, made the switch from raising pigs to cultivating soldier flies and built a 22,000-square-metre (237,000 square feet) factory aimed at producing over 10,000 tonnes of insect meal and oil annually.
The factory, inaugurated in December 2023, is the largest of its kind in northern Europe, with its products initially targeted for animal feed by farmers and potentially later for human consumption.
Lind Sam, the co-owner and chief operations officer, stated that they are developing products to replace other potentially less environmentally friendly alternatives, aiming to reshape the agricultural industry in a country where the sector’s environmental impact is a concern.
A report from the University of Copenhagen in 2020 revealed that the importation of soy products for livestock feed in Denmark led to the emission of seven million tonnes of carbon dioxide, accounting for 60 percent of the total CO2 emissions from Danish agriculture.
Despite modest initial orders, Enorm, supported by both public and private investments, is pioneering the insect farming industry, utilizing automation wherever possible.
The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed anticipates significant growth in the industry, projecting insect meal production to reach one million tonnes by 2030.
– Roaring buzz –
Inside the facility, with turquoise fluorescent lighting, millions of black flies buzzed in about 500 plastic cages, laying hundreds of thousands of eggs daily.
The deafening hum of insects permeated the air as they laid eggs continuously during their 10-day lifespan.
Lind Sam demonstrated how the female fly lays eggs on cardboard sheets, producing around 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of eggs each day, with each gram containing approximately 40,000 eggs.
These eggs eventually develop into feeder flies and future maggots, which, once they reach the pupae stage, undergo transformation.
After 12 days, 25 kilograms of eggs yield 100 tonnes of moist larvae. About 500 million maggots are nurtured in crates under tropical conditions, fed using waste materials like orange peels obtained from local partners.
Eriksen, a biologist at Aalborg University, highlighted the ability of insects to consume materials that other animals might not, allowing for better utilization of agricultural byproducts and food waste.
Enorm’s focus on waste minimization emphasizes the role of insect rearing in nutrient recycling.
The production of the final product, mainly flour with a protein content of 55 percent, takes around 40 to 50 days and is distributed across Europe for use in feeding pigs, poultry, fish, and pets, although Enorm keeps the identity of its customers confidential.
The company foresees the potential integration of larvae into human nutrition in the future.
Eriksen noted the cultural barriers to acceptance of insects in human diets, stating, “It’s partially a cultural thing: ‘Who wants to eat them?’.”
ofe-cbw/jll/spb/dl
