Multibox Helps to Rethink Food Waste
Did you know that we waste almost a third of all the food produced in the UK…
28% of farmland is used to produce food that goes on to be wasted – but could insect farming be part of the solution to rethink food waste and help feed a growing global population?
Multibox is the first company in the UK seeking to produce insects on a commercial scale for the animal feed, fertiliser, and medical industries. The Black Soldier Fly is Multibox’s vehicle of choice for changing the way we use waste food and feed fish.
At maturity, the insects are processed into fish or animal feed and several grades of fertiliser – and form a sustainable alternative to fish meal. The insects are fed on vegetable crop and manufacturing waste that would otherwise go to landfill. The waste is re-purposed to provide the micro-herds with an optimal high protein, high fat diet.
Processed insect meal will be packed full of nutrient rich proteins, high levels of Omega 3 and 6 and best of all, lots of useful fats and lipids; perfect for the agricultural and aquaculture industries.
Multibox closes the loop in the carbon cycle by taking waste destined for energy production or landfill and uses it to produce insect protein and insect oil. The prime purpose of Multibox is not to close the carbon cycle, but to produce animal feed in a zero-waste economy where we maximise the value of all the UK’s waste streams in commercially viable new businesses, generating wealth and employment along the way. It makes the UK less reliant on imports by replacing the need to use fish meal which is caught in South American and deep marine waters which is no longer sustainable.
In future years once a license has been granted, insects can be used in pig and poultry feed, reducing imports of soya from America and the environmental problems associated with soya production.
Currently Multibox can only sell insect protein into the farmed fish market (aquaculture), but hope that a license will be granted in the future for pig and poultry (monogastric) species.
Multibox is developing its biotech solution at Farm491 in Cirencester. Farm491 is an exciting enterprise hub for agritech start-ups, individuals, farmers, scientists and innovators who may be looking for a space, technical support and access to technology to test an innovation – whilst others may simply like to network and share thoughts amongst industry peers to get an idea off the ground.
The space is inclusive, open to all and will become home to innovators, from all scale of sizes.