IRBI, Innovafeed launch research partnership for black soldier fly production

FRANCE – The Institute for Research on Insect Biology (IRBI), a research institute affiliated with the University of Tours and CNRS, and Innovafeed, a global leader in insect-based ingredients for pet food, animal feed, and plant nutrition, have announced a research partnership to advance the industrialisation of black soldier fly (BSF) production.

The project, known as FrenchFly, will focus on improving the biological understanding and industrial efficiency of black soldier fly production. 

It brings together IRBI, affiliated with the University of Tours and CNRS, with Innovafeed’s commercial-scale expertise in insect protein manufacturing.

The initiative is supported by the French government under the France 2030 framework through Bpifrance’s innovation funding scheme, and aims to generate scientific data on insect growth, reproduction and lifecycle optimisation. 

Findings will be shared through academic and industry channels to support broader sector development.

Black soldier fly larvae are increasingly used in aquaculture, livestock and pet food, offering a way to convert organic waste into high-protein feed ingredients with a lower environmental footprint than conventional sources such as soybean meal and fishmeal.

Africa’s BSF market gains scale and investor momentum

While the French initiative focuses on research, commercial deployment is accelerating rapidly across Africa, where BSF production is moving from pilot scale to industrial output.

In Kenya, companies such as InsectiPro and Sanergy have established large-scale BSF facilities.

 InsectiPro alone has reported production capacity of over 5,000 tonnes of insect-based protein annually, targeting poultry and aquaculture feed markets.

Across the continent, AgriProtein has been a pioneer in industrial BSF production, with facilities designed to process hundreds of tonnes of organic waste per day into protein and oil for feed applications.

The African insect protein market is estimated to be growing at over 25% annually, with projections suggesting it could exceed US$1 billion in value within the next decade, driven by rising feed demand, high raw material costs and increasing pressure on conventional protein sources.

Feed demand across Africa is also expanding rapidly, exceeding 50 million tonnes per year, particularly in poultry and aquaculture. 

BSF offers a partial solution to protein shortages, with larvae capable of converting up to 2 tonnes of organic waste into roughly 200–300 kg of protein-rich meal, depending on production systems.

Governments and development organisations are also backing the sector. 

In Uganda and Rwanda, national programmes are supporting smallholder adoption of BSF systems, while in Nigeria, pilot projects are linking insect farming to poultry feed supply chains.

This growing ecosystem is attracting investor attention, particularly as feed costs account for up to 60–70% of livestock production expenses in many African markets. 

BSF-based ingredients offer potential cost savings while improving supply chain resilience by reducing dependence on imported soy and fishmeal.

The FrenchFly project therefore reflects a broader global trend: combining scientific research with industrial-scale production to unlock the full potential of insect protein.

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