Author: Hsien-Tzung Shih^1,*, Tai-Chuan Wang¹, Shu-Chen Chang¹, Chi-Yang Lee¹, Me-Chi Yao¹, Chang-Tsern Chen², Shu-Peu Chen¹, and Chien-Chung Chen³

¹ Applied Zoology Division, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
² Technical Service Division, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Former Research Fellow and Director, Applied Zoology Division, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.

Abstract

    Globally, there is an urgently need to find alternatives to conventional meat products, following population growth, consumers’ environmental awareness rise, and limited agricultural land. Since livestock production is the primary cause of climate warming, the process of producing or providing animal and plant-derived protein components for animal feed is considered to cause land occupation, primary production utilization, acidification, climate change, energy utilization, water dependence and the lack of fish resources. These effects were mainly related to the production of fishmeal, protein crops, and electricity production for feed processing. It is necessary to find more sustainable diets to solve this problem, including reducing meat consumption, reducing food waste, or using alternative protein sources. Insects are being promoted as human food and animal feed worldwide. The production cost of insect protein will be lower than that of fish meal in 2030. The European Union will become a major hub for global insect protein production technology and industrial maturity by then. Even so, it is estimated that the output will not be enough to support animal feed. At present, the European Union has completed several life cycle assessment studies for the animal feed industry with different insect proteins as a substitute for fish meals and soybean meal. It is expected that it can reduce the carbon footprint of the animal husbandry industry. This review focuses on the crucial response strategies adopted by the global animal farming industry in the face of the increasing shortage of conventional feed protein ingredients. It reviews important researches on replacing proteins with insect sources, including the species and characteristics of insects that humans have eaten in the past, animal feed, the reasons for the vigorous development of insects and their industries in the European Union, the potential of various insects as feed for farmed animals, the current development and bottlenecks of the insect industry for animal feed, and future prospects. The insect protein industry is a novel and sustainable emerging industry. Reviewing the development status of foreign countries is expected to provide relevant topics that need attention in the development of this industry in Taiwan.

Keywords: Insect protein, Animal feed, Fish meals, Insect industry for animal feed, Carbon footprint.

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