Phileo by Lesaffre and Agronutris partner to advance microbial solutions for insect farming

FRANCE – Phileo by Lesaffre, a leading global provider of animal care solutions, and Agronutris, a French biotechnology company specialised in bioconversion using the Black Soldier Fly, have announced a strategic long-term partnership to accelerate the development of microbial solutions for insect farming, combining their expertise in microbiology, insect production, and animal nutrition to support sustainable insect-based agriculture.

The partnership is designed to address critical technical challenges in insect farming while improving the applicability and speed of microbial technologies used in insect rearing. 

Company executives emphasised that coordinated efforts across the sector will be essential to scale insect-based agriculture and integrate it into global food and feed systems.

“Insect-based agriculture is well-positioned to shape the future of global food systems. To enable sustainable production at scale, a more proactive and collaborative approach is essential, as already demonstrated in other livestock sectors,” said Manuel Maire, CEO of Phileo by Lesaffre.

Cédric Auriol, CEO of Agronutris, described the collaboration as an important milestone for the sector. 

“This partnership with Phileo by Lesaffre is a significant step in building an efficient insect industry. By joining forces, we can help create an ecosystem similar to those that exist for other livestock production systems.”

Combining expertise in microbiology and insect farming

Through the collaboration, the companies will merge their expertise in entomology, agri-food production, microbiology, animal nutrition, and formulation processes. 

The aim is to develop microbial solutions that optimise insect growth, health, and productivity while maintaining sustainable production practices.

Agronutris brings more than a decade of research and development experience in insect genetics, nutrition, and rearing technologies. 

The company also operates industrial pilot facilities for testing and validating new solutions in large-scale production environments.

Meanwhile, Phileo by Lesaffre contributes its expertise in microbial technologies and fermentation. 

As part of Lesaffre, which has more than 150 years of experience in fermentation-based solutions for animal nutrition and agriculture, Phileo brings advanced knowledge in microbial optimisation and formulation.

Building an ecosystem for sustainable insect production

Executives emphasised that combining research, technology, and industrial capabilities will help strengthen the emerging insect protein industry. 

Maire highlighted the potential of microbial solutions to enhance the efficiency of insect farming.

“Insects have co-evolved with microorganisms, enabling them to convert complex substrates,” he said. 

“We believe that our expertise in microbial-based solutions, combined with Agronutris’ expertise in insect farming, will allow us to develop agile solutions to enhance insect productivity at scale.”

The companies said their joint work will focus on demonstrating the performance and practical relevance of microbial solutions in insect farming systems. 

As insect-based agriculture continues to expand, partnerships like this are expected to improve production efficiency and reinforce insects as a sustainable protein source for animal nutrition worldwide.

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