More on the McDonalds angle here.
The small but growing insect farming sector has captured attention and investments from some heavyweights in the $400 billion-a-year animal feed business, including U.S. agricultural powerhouse Cargill Inc, feed supplier and farm products and services company Wilbur-Ellis Co and Swiss-based Buhler Group, which makes crop processing machinery. Fast food giant McDonald’s is studying using insects for chicken feed to reduce reliance on soy protein. “This pioneering work is currently at the proof-of-concept stage,” Nicola Robinson, McDonald’s Corp sustainable supply chain manager, told Reuters. “We are encouraged by initial results and are committed to continuing to support further research.”
The fact that such global food production giants are turning to insects illustrates the lengths they will go to find alternative sources of protein that are profitable and sustainable as animal feed or additives to human food.
