Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research
Project Number: 6022-63000-006-050-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2026
End Date: Feb 29, 2028
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to enhance whole systems’ sustainability and profitability through insect farming and the widespread use of frass as a fertilizer source, removing barriers for creating value-added products in the poultry and aquaculture sectors, allowing for additional return on investment, and enhanced food security and reliance on local resources.
Approach:
This project uses insect farming as a sustainable agricultural practice to reduce food waste and produce high-quality animal protein and fertilizer ‘frass’, while enhancing regional food security in the Southeastern US. Rearing insects has gained global attention as a circular economy alternative to annual grains for animal feed, as they do not require annual soil disturbance, fossil fuel-based fertilizers, and irrigation, and degradation of natural resources compared to conventional agriculture and livestock systems. Further, insect farming has a low-cost point of entry and can be done on smaller scales, being an attractive farming operation for small farmers, thus allowing for income diversification and greater food security in the Southern SARE region. The primary by-product of insect farming – frass – is enriched in macronutrients and can be used as an organic fertilizer and plant growth promoter, potentially displacing synthetic fertilizers and consequently reducing farm operational costs. Advancing insect production systems and delivering lessons learned through effective training and technical assistance can benefit the entire insect protein industry and economic development. Here, working with industry, we will identify and quantify food and agricultural waste to be used in insect farming in the Southern SARE region and explore agricultural options for insect frass provided by industry partners investigating impacts on soil health, pathogens, crop yields and nutritional value. The overall outcome of this project is the advancement of circular economy and the recycling of food waste through insect farming, leading to the displacement of fossil-based inputs, promoting soil and environmental health and facilitating the access to nutritious food.