Why insect protein needs rethinking

Sustainability assessments of insect-derived ingredients should look beyond conventional life cycle assessment (LCA) measurements to capture scale, resource competition and functional benefits in animal nutrition, according to a new industry commentary.

The paper argues that existing studies can present a distorted picture because many rely on laboratory or pilot-scale data, where energy use, feedstock logistics and production volumes differ substantially from industrial operations. It also says comparisons with established protein sources can overlook the environmental costs associated with land and marine resource constraints.

“Soy will run out of land, fishmeal will run out of fish: you can pay more for them, but you can’t pay the planet to catch up,” said Marine Bézagu, PhD, head of Product Development Aquaculture at Innovafeed. “Insects add protein without drawing on either, and will get better with scale.”

The commentary cites research showing wide variation in reported emissions from black soldier fly production, depending on feedstock, energy use, production scale and allocation methodology. It highlights industrial examples where efficiencies have improved as production has expanded.

Innovafeed, for example, reports that its protein carbon intensity fell fivefold from 2022 to 1.2 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of protein in 2025, with further reductions targeted through process optimisation.

Industrial integration can also influence results, the paper says. Recovering waste heat and using wet organic by-products from neighbouring industries can reduce energy and feedstock requirements compared with less integrated production models.

The assessment also highlights potential environmental implications of conventional protein sources, including land-use pressures linked to soy and constraints on wild fish stocks used for marine ingredients.

“Industrial-scale insect production already shows that environmental performance can improve substantially as processes mature and scale,” said Stijn Harms, chief technology officer at Protix.

“What excites me most is the potential for further gains through continued innovation, efficiency and better integration within the food and feed system.”

The commentary concludes that future assessments should combine LCA with consequential impacts, scalability and potential in-farm benefits, including improved feed efficiency and animal health.