I think some steps are too risky but we' ve had a small-scale trial raising black soldier flies for poultry ( fed the larvae) on the farm and it was very successful
Thank you for sharing your experience—it’s really interesting to hear about your trial with black soldier flies, and I can absolutely see how feeding insects to pigs and poultry could work brilliantly in a small-scale, sustainable system.
My main concern lies with how this would translate to factory farming. I fear large-scale operations might exploit this alternative feed source, prioritising profit over the integrity of our food system and the health of our landscapes. It’s a slippery slope, and without strict regulation and transparency, we could see more harm than good in the long run.
It’s such a fine balance, isn’t it? Small-scale innovation like yours gives me hope that there’s a better way forward.
As a farmer, I share your concerns and believe it would be a backward step. Big ag cut too many corners to be trusted. And the risk of bse and foot and mouth is too great.
Large scale operations will always exploit for wealth whereas the wellbeing of the livestock should be paramount. Like us, animals like a varied diet and insects may be tasty. Even my cows like to be able to chose for themselves, once the silage is off, what different tasting fields to graze for breakfast or dinner.
Pity we can feed politicians to pigs... only kidding!
**can't**
I think some steps are too risky but we' ve had a small-scale trial raising black soldier flies for poultry ( fed the larvae) on the farm and it was very successful
Thank you for sharing your experience—it’s really interesting to hear about your trial with black soldier flies, and I can absolutely see how feeding insects to pigs and poultry could work brilliantly in a small-scale, sustainable system.
My main concern lies with how this would translate to factory farming. I fear large-scale operations might exploit this alternative feed source, prioritising profit over the integrity of our food system and the health of our landscapes. It’s a slippery slope, and without strict regulation and transparency, we could see more harm than good in the long run.
It’s such a fine balance, isn’t it? Small-scale innovation like yours gives me hope that there’s a better way forward.
There's been an interesting OK-net ecofeed project looking at alternatives involving organic farmers which I covered in Organic Farming mag https://agricology.co.uk/research-projects/ok-net-ecofeed/
As a farmer, I share your concerns and believe it would be a backward step. Big ag cut too many corners to be trusted. And the risk of bse and foot and mouth is too great.
Feed 'em to the pigs, Errol
Large scale operations will always exploit for wealth whereas the wellbeing of the livestock should be paramount. Like us, animals like a varied diet and insects may be tasty. Even my cows like to be able to chose for themselves, once the silage is off, what different tasting fields to graze for breakfast or dinner.