Insect-based pet food, the latest byproduct of EU bureaucracy

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🗞️ Driving the news: European insect producers are warning that EU regulatory constraints are stifling their sector, forcing them to pivot from aquaculture to pet food just to survive
• Initially intended to replace environmentally harmful fishmeal in aquaculture, insect protein has struggled to compete economically due to the continued import of low-cost fishmeal and rigid rules on insect feedstocks

🔭 The context: The EU allowed insect protein in aquaculture feed in 2017, and extended that to pig and poultry feed in 2022
• However, the bloc has not banned fishmeal, a resource linked to overfishing and biodiversity los
• Simultaneously, strict EU biosecurity laws prohibit feeding insects with catering waste — a policy stemming from BSE-era precautions — thereby limiting the sector's ability to operate within a circular economy

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Replacing fishmeal with insect protein could significantly reduce pressure on marine ecosystems, yet current regulations hinder this transition
• Insect farming has the potential to close waste loops and reduce carbon emissions — but only if it can rely on food waste and compete fairly with subsidised, linear protein sources
• Critics argue the EU is missing a vital opportunity to foster a genuinely circular and sustainable bioeconomy

⏭️ What's next: Insect producers are lobbying for regulatory reform to allow the use of post-consumer food waste in insect feed, contingent on safe treatment protocols
• Without changes, the sector may remain limited to niche markets like eco-conscious pet food, stalling its broader sustainability potential
• The European Commission continues to cite disease risks, though scientists suggest these can be mitigated
• Key decisions on feed regulations and fishmeal import controls could shape the future of this emerging industry in the coming years

💬 One quote: “The reason the insect industry can’t be as sustainable as it could be is entirely due to regulations,” — Cecilia Lalander, professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

📈 One stat: As of 2021, 37.7% of global fish stocks were harvested at biologically unsustainable levels — up from just 10% in the mid-1970s, according to the UN FAO

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