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For a long time now, insects have been used in agriculture as a food source. Portable and low cost, bugs are good candidates to be a bigger animal’s dinner.
In an attempt to solve the planet's soil degradation crisis, agricultural experts are turning to an unlikely ally: the poop of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL).
Not only are these tiny critters amazingly efficient at breaking down organic waste, but they also go one step further and turn that waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. While BSFL as fertilizers is not yet a large-scale solution, there are various projects around the world trying to change that as we speak.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
As soil in various parts of the world continues to degrade, however, experts are now wondering whether insects could be used to help restore soil quality and encourage plant growth.
In May 2024, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded grants to three projects that are working on harnessing the capabilities of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL).
There is one bug that is of particular interest: the black solider fly. Indeed, the larvae of this tiny bug are able to transform organic waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer called frass.
Despite seeming to be a perfect fit, however, BSFL are still not being used at scale to tackle the problem of soil degradation.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), BSFL are able to consume up to four times their body weight in organic waste per day.
Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of BSFL that make them so valuable to agriculture. First of all, they have enormous appetites.
They do this in just a fraction of the time it would take for traditional composting methods to break down the same amount of waste.
With organic waste continuing to produce considerable amounts of carbon emissions, the question of how to process it is becoming more pressing.
Experts are therefore excited about using the digestive processes of BSFL to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The second reason that the digestive systems of BSFL are so coveted is that they turn the organic waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer, known as frass.
As it stands, frass is not used at scale as a fertilizer. Indeed, the use of BSFL poop in agriculture has not even been studied yet in the US.
However, the topic has been studied in other parts of the world, most notably in various countries in Europe.
Studies have shown that the frass produced by BSFL is able to provide essential nutrients to plants and foster a more biodiverse soil.
This stands in sharp contrast to synthetic fertilizers, which often destroy soil biodiversity, along with beneficial bacteria and the soil’s natural ecosystem.
As a result, the use of synthetic fertilizers often makes soil dependent on input from increasingly expensive treatments.
Synthetic fertilizers are also fossil-fuel intensive, meaning that they increase the carbon footprint of the soil that they fertilize.
By offering a solution to two key problems (the disposal of organic waste and the degradation of soil), using BSFL in agriculture seems to be a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
Adding to the list of advantages, there is the fact that black soldier flies seem to reproduce very quickly.
If used at scale, therefore, farmers would not have to worry about resources eventually drying up.
Given their tiny size, BSFL are also very easy to transport, which again helps keep down their cost as a resource.
At present, this is particularly important, since fertilizer prices are through the roof, and supply is not always reliable.
As previously mentioned, frass has not yet been accepted for use as a large-scale fertilizer.
This is partly because the concept is relatively new, and in order for producers to market frass as a fertilizer it first needs to be regulated.
In order for the product to be regulated, it first needs to be properly researched. In the case of frass, research is still in its infancy.
Another problem that proponents of frass are facing is that insects are currently not accepted as additives by the US National Organic Program.
This means that it can be difficult to convince farmers who use organic methods that BSFL is safe to use.
However, teams such as those at Oregon-based Chapul Farms, are currently working to change the status quo.
Indeed, they are currently in conversations with regulators to help increase education around using BSFL for fertilizer and bring the practice into the mainstream.
Sources: (BBC) (UNDP)
See also: The surprising ways insects have been used in warfare throughout history
The tiny bugs turning waste into fertilizer
The next big thing in agriculture
LIFESTYLE Agriculture
In an attempt to solve the planet's soil degradation crisis, agricultural experts are turning to an unlikely ally: the poop of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL).
Not only are these tiny critters amazingly efficient at breaking down organic waste, but they also go one step further and turn that waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. While BSFL as fertilizers is not yet a large-scale solution, there are various projects around the world trying to change that as we speak.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.