FlAgship demonstration of industrial scale production of nutrient Resources from Mealworms to develop a bioeconomY New Generation

Project Information

FARMYNG

Grant agreement ID: 837750

DOI

10.3030/837750

Project closed

EC signature date 25 April 2019

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology

Total cost

€ 47 294 008,98

EU contribution

€ 19 630 411,18

Coordinated by

YNSECT
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FARMYNG (FlAgship demonstration of industrial scale production of nutrient Resources from Mealworms to develop a bioeconomY New Generation)

Reporting period: 2020-12-01 to 2022-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

FARMYNG aims to industrialise the farming of an insect called the Tenebrio molitor to produce premium proteins for animal feed and fertilizers. It will be the world's first sector of industry to produce premium, sustainable, bio-based proteins to meet ever-increasing global demand.

FARMYNG brings together 19 key players in the bioeconomy spanning every link in the value chain. They include three raw materials and nutritional solutions suppliers, one larvae supplier, two research facilities, three tech suppliers, one quality-control specialist, one sustainability consultant, one innovation consultant, four end users and three bioeconomy clusters.

This responsible new value chain will have a positive impact in Europe over the next 10 years in terms of both the economy—with the potential to ramp up production to over 200,000 tonnes of premium protein with revenues of around €1 billion and the creation of 1,200 direct and indirect jobs—and the environment—by avoiding an additional drain on wild fisheries of more than 800,000 tonnes.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

After receiving the approval of the building permit, the construction work started on March 16, 2020. The technology used in the FARMŸNG project was developed by Ÿnsect, with 350 patents filed to safeguard project-related innovations. It is already up and running at the first Ÿnsect site in Dôle, in the Jura region of eastern France, which has a capacity to produce up to 30 tonnes a month. FARMŸNG will optimise the entire process at the new Poulainville plant on the outskirts of Amiens and boost monthly output to over 1,500 tonnes of protein.
The Amiens site will spearhead Industry 4.0. The fully automated facility will use vertical farming techniques to save both energy and space. It will also feature a wide array of data sensors enabling Ÿnsect teams to develop predictive models to track insect productivity and growth. Despite Covid-19 related restrictions, the construction of the building has progressed quite well; the future performance production remains as expected. A ground-breaking ceremony was organised in early May 2021, with high profiles guests in attendance, such as Ministers of Agriculture, Environment & ecology and Digital transition.
Ÿnsect has gained approval for its natural insect fertiliser ‘ŸnFrass’ issued by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the 3rd March 2020. The fertiliser is derived from the insect by-product (or frass) of the mealworm Tenebrio Molitor. The product is the fruit of 4 years of research and development between Ÿnsect and several leading institutions and it can now be used in organic farming in accordance with regulation no. 384/2007.
A Stakeholder & market analysis was delivered by the partners, demonstrating the strong demand in Europe, East Asia and North America for ŸnFarm insect based products. As for scientific results on the Tenebrio molitor breeding strategy and the quality assessment of insect based products, they were addressed through conference papers and research articles in specialised dissemination outlets.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Molitor larva comprises more than 70% protein and is a natural source of nutrients for a wide array of animals, including fish, poultry, pigs, dogs and cats. It is also the insect species best suited to development on an industrial scale, offering the greatest added value in the market for alternative protein sources thanks to the unparalleled nutritional and health benefits it offers to both plants and animals.
These intrinsic qualities make the Molitor perfectly placed to promote a circular economy. The mealworm consumes all sorts of organic matter, even low-grade materials. It grows quickly and requires less space, less earth and less water than other animal protein sources. It also gives off less ammonia and fewer greenhouses gases than other premium animal proteins. The entire production system is modelled on a circular economy with zero-waste.
FARMYNG project would lay the foundations for a new protein supply chain to meet the world's immense food challenge.

FARMYNG logo