IPCC delegates visited Nasekomo’s Center of Excellence
Delegates of the 61st Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), conducted in Sofia, Bulgaria and hosted by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water, took part in a event of the accompanying programme and visited the Demonstration Center of Nasekomo.
During their visit, the delegates got acquainted with the key characteristics of the insect Hermetia illucens grown for feed protein, among which insect’s extremely short life cycle, non-invasiveness and safety, the ability to process large quantities of bio mass and the huge potential its usage in a circular production.
IPCC delegates exploring Nasekomo’s Center of Excellence:
The occasion for the visit was the crucial role of the insect industry, illustrated by Nasekomo’s work, in the fight against climate change. Insects such as Hermetia illucens, with the popular name ‘black soldier fly’, can efficiently convert organic by-products into valuable protein, thereby reducing carbon emissions associated with food waste.
Hosts from Nasekomo were Marco Tejeda, R&D Director, and Maria Alexandrova, Sustainability and Innovation Project Manager, who spoke in more details about the company’s commitment to sustainable practices. “Protein production from insects requires significantly less land, water and feed than traditional livestock farming, making it a more sustainable option. In addition, the circular production model promoted by companies like Nasekomo helps minimize the overall carbon footprint of food production systems,” shared Maria.
The Industrial Director of Nasekomo Kamen Vassilev guided the guests through the technological process of production of the protein. The tour of the Bulgarian demo factory gave an insight into the company’s cutting-edge technologies and solutions aimed not only at optimizing production efficiency, but at developing and expanding the insect processing industry worldwide. “The goal is to reduce dependence on traditional protein sources such as fishmeal and soy, which are often associated with significant negative environmental impacts,” Kamen explained.
Kamen Vasilev, Nasekomo Industrial Director, sharing insights from the insect processing industry:
During the visit, the Nasekomo hosts stressed the importance of innovative, sustainable practices to address global climate challenges and highlighted the significant potential of the insect industry to contribute to a more sustainable future.