Innovafeed’s Maye Walraven: ‘Hilucia Frass can provide equal or superior fruit and vegetable production compared to conventional fertilizers’

Insect farming is increasingly seen as a transformative approach in agriculture. The practice, which was initially driven by the need for more sustainable protein sources and the environmental challenges associated with conventional farming methods, has been able to produce other farming by-products, like, for example, organic fertilizers. Insects such as crickets, mealworms, and black soldier flies require significantly less land, water, and feed than traditional livestock and emit fewer greenhouse gases. Additionally, insects can consume organic waste products, converting what would otherwise be discarded into valuable biomass, which not only helps reduce waste but also supports a circular economy.

Innovafeed, a French AgTech company founded eight years ago, has rapidly emerged as a significant player in the insect farming industry. The company specializes in producing sustainable protein from insects utilizing agricultural by-products. Innovafeed not only fosters a circular economy but also produces organic fertilizers from insect droppings. We have met with Innovafeed’s North America General Manager, Maye Walraven, to discuss her company’s innovative approach to animal and plant nutrition.

FD: Maye, it is a pleasure to talk with you about Innovafeed’s unique product for plant nutrition. Can you briefly explain what your company does and how it could benefit the agriculture industry?

MW: Innovafeed is the global leader in insect production, specifically Hermetia illucens, commonly known as the Black Soldier Fly. We use agricultural by-products to feed our insects, which we transform into high-quality nutrients for animal and plant nutrition. The deployment of the insect industry can simultaneously address the challenge of growing waste deposits worldwide and the increasing deficit of high-quality nutrients needed to feed a global population, which, according to FAO, is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, by enabling more circular and sustainable food systems.

FD: Why are your insect farms growing Black soldier flies? Is there any particular reason for choosing this insect over others?

MW: Insect technology is recognized as one of the most promising solutions for more sustainable food chains. Insects are nature’s most powerful upcycles, and we chose Hermetia illucens in particular because of its amazing power to turn low-grade agriculture or food waste into premium, valuable, and functional high-end ingredients, such as protein and oil, with unparalleled efficiency and low environmental impact.

FD: We know you produce organic insect-derived fertilizer and work with distributors like Hello Nature to promote it. Should your product substitute mineral fertilizers for farmers, or does it complement traditional fertilizers on the field?

MW: One of our products, Hilucia “Frass for plants,” the organic residue from our insect breeding, is indeed a performant and sustainable fertilizer of 100% natural origin used for cultivated crops. Hilucia Frass is naturally rich in nitrogen and other essential nutrients, which can substitute the nutritional benefits of mineral fertilizers, but is also a source of organic matter, with the presence of beneficial bacteria and chitin. Unlike mineral fertilizers, it has the ability to both stimulate plant growth and activate soil life, hence making it an excellent alternative for regenerative agricultural practices.

Field trials conducted over the past years have already demonstrated that Hilucia Frass can provide equal or superior fruit or vegetable production in replacement of conventional fertilizers and helps to improve soil health, while significantly reducing the carbon footprint of farming activities.

FD: You operate several facilities in France and another one in Illinois, USA, that you have launched in partnership with ADM. How do you compare European and U.S. markets, and what are your current ambitions for each of them?

MW: The European and U.S. markets are different in terms of dominant crops, and thus, for each region, we leverage local by-products to deploy our production model (corn by-product in the USA vs. wheat by-product in France). With regards to fertilization, both regions have long-standing expertise in agriculture and emerging trends towards more regenerative agriculture and environmentally friendly practices. Our ambition for both markets is to bolster domestic organic fertilizer production to provide local farmers with a wider spectrum of sustainable and performant solutions.

FD: Do you sell your product only in the European and North American markets, or are you also considering other regions, like Latin America or Asia?

MW: We commercialize our ingredients for animal nutrition globally but have a local focus on the commercialization of our organic fertilizer. We see strong demand for locally produced organic fertilizer in the European and North American markets and want to create local and circular value chains in the regions where we implement our production sites. For instance, in France, we are exploring the potential of our Hilucia Frass with partners in the Champagne region, which is in close proximity to our production facility.

FD: Innovafeed has gone through several successful funding rounds since 2018. Can you share some insights on how that process went and what support you continue to get from your active investors?

MW: Since 2018, we have been focused on demonstrating that our products address a demand for high-quality, performant, and sustainable ingredients and that we can scale the production model we have developed to meet this demand. We adopted an iterative process, starting at the pilot scale and growing our production in stages, with each step serving as a demonstration to support the funding for the next expansion. Our investors closely track our progress and, based on our successful track record, continue to support us in building this new industry.

FD: Let’s discuss the USDA’s $11.8 million grant you received in 2024. Can you share with our readers how hard or easy it was to go through this process and how this financing would help your company strategically?

MW: This USDA grant is a response from the Federal government to the surge in fertilizer prices between 2021 and 2022 due to strong reliance on imports and limited availability of local fertilizer. We submitted a proposal that highlighted how Innovafeed’s production model can bolster domestic fertilizer output in a sustainable way and provide American farmers with a broader spectrum of choices.

Our project was selected among more than 350 proposals. This grant (which is on a reimbursement basis) will help us replicate in the U.S. the model we have successfully rolled out in Europe. While we mostly rely on private investment, this endorsement of the USDA recognizes Innovafeed’s potential in the American market and will be instrumental in accelerating our path to profitability.

FD: Let’s make one step forward beyond fertilizers — do you foresee insect farms producing food or protein for human use? Could Innovafeed take this path in the future?

MW: According to the FAO, 77% of agricultural land is used for livestock production (including grazing land for animal production and arable land used for animal feed production), and 13% of global fishing volumes are used for non-food uses. Our primary focus is on addressing the critical need to produce animal feed with lower pressure on natural resources, which can, in turn, enable us to redirect these resources for food production. In the future, there will likely be a market for insect ingredients for human consumption, but we are not prioritizing these applications in the short term.

FD: Let’s sum up our interview with a question about sustainability. On its website, Innovafeed proudly states that through the development of its technology and products, the company contributes directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. How important is this for Innovafeed’s strategy, and do you plan to include new goals in your ambitions?

MW: Sustainability is an integral part of Innovafeed’s Mission — the cutting-edge technology we have developed to rear insects aims to support the transition towards more circular food production systems and address multiple UN Sustainable Goals, including i) providing food security, ii) reducing waste iii) lowering impact on natural resources (deforestation, fisheries, etc…), iv) reducing carbon emissions and v) promoting local economic growth.