Systematic approach of insect farming for assuring protein security in Sri Lanka

Abstract

We started introducing BSF farming to Sri Lanka in 2017 and it is at the level of making it a national project with the collaboration of Power Hands Private Limited, Sri Lanka as a private venture. Food waste management is the biggest nuisance for any Government. Thousands of tons of food waste are generated and discarded from hotels, reception halls, vegetable markets, fish markets, slaughtering houses, food manufacturing industries, and household kitchens daily. These wastes are finally dumped in an open environment creating numerous health and environmental issues including diseases and heavy greenhouse gas emissions. A well-organized channel from the waste collection to the production of larvae has been designed and established for each unit operation of this overall process as a zero-waste project. Garbage suppliers are also benefitted differently and the end products are further applied in the direct and indirect animal feed industry as the main protein source. Farmers of rearing Chicken, Ducks, Turkey, Swine, Fish, and Shrimp are registered as cluster farmers to the company, and the BSF/MW protein-rich well-formulated feeds are supplied. The final farm products of meat, eggs, fish, and shrimp are transported to a company-owned food processing factory, and value-added protein products are produced. A set standard is made compulsory for each product and the company is highly responsible for what they are issuing to the consumers. The cluster farmers are encouraged to widen their production range and are regularly inspected and monitored by company supervisors island-wide. Quality control of this overall process is managed by a company-owned participatory guarantee system (PGS). The products will be available for purchasing at the company-operated specific sales outlets islandwide and, the prices are expected to be competitive so that every social category can be benefitted and nourished.