Insect Farm's Plans For Sustainable Protein

Insect farming, which is increasingly regarded as a sustainable alternative source of protein, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing agricultural industries. Dr Michael Woods, co-founder and CEO of Susento, spoke to Jeandré van der Walt about the advantages of insect farming and his goal of producing a high-quality protein sports drink from fly larvae.

- Jeandré van der Walt

“Farmers cannot keep up with humanity’s growing demand for more protein to eat. The world is being pushed to look at alternative sources of protein. One such source that can be used is insects, as they’re the most efficient converters of food to protein.”

So says Dr.Michael Woods, co-founder and CEO of Susento, an innovation company that mass produces black soldier fly larvae for feed and food purposes. It is based on Stellenbosch University’s Mariendahl experimental farm.

Woods started researching insect farming while studying for his MSc in Animal Sciences at the university in 2016.

“This is where my interest in insects started,” Woods recalls. He studied under Dr. Elsje Pieterse, an expert with more than 20 years’ experience in insect farming at the university’s Department of Animal Sciences.

“At that stage, it tickled my interest because it was still a very new research field, and very relevant, as the current protein sources are unsustainable,” he says.

While working on his MSc, Woods studied the potential that insect farming offered. This led him to obtaining a doctorate on the entire value chain of insect production, and the establishment of Susento in 2018. Woods, Pieterse and Dr Neill Goosen of the Department of Process Engineering at the university are partners in the venture.