Innovafeed, a leader in the production of insects (Hermetia illucens) for animal and plant nutrition, inaugurated the extension of its Nesle production site (Hauts-de-France region) in presence of Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty and Christophe Béchu, Minister of the ecological transition and Territories as well as other public and private representatives of the regional and national economic ecosystem.
By expanding its industrial capacities, Innovafeed illustrates the ambitions of the France 2030 plan for green reindustrialization and the revitalization of French territories, that will benefit the creation of a new French sector of excellence with a positive impact.
“This day marks an important milestone for Innovafeed and our entire team. Thanks to our breakthrough technology and the active support of our public and private partners, we are creating a French sector of excellence in the territories that illustrates the transition already underway towards a low-carbon industry to meet the challenges of climate change and sovereignty. The presence of Ministers at our side is a real recognition of our success and our ambition.†said Clément Ray, Co-founder & CEO of Innovafeed.
“Green reindustrialization is a major lever for strengthening France’s attractiveness and competitiveness. In this respect, Innovafeed embodies technological and industrial innovation at the service of ambitious and strategic environmental objectives for future generations. I salute the talent and vision of its teams who work every day for our decarbonized industrial sovereignty.†added Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.
“The growth of a company with a strong environmental impact like Innovafeed, in the heart of the Hauts-de-France region, demonstrates the driving role of the regions in the new green industrial revolution that we are promoting. Their ability to put innovation at the service of ecological issues and to create the conditions for its expansion will be decisive for our industry, but also for the revitalization of the economic and social ecosystems in all our regions. It is this territorial excellence that we must call for.†said Christophe Béchu, Minister of the ecological transition and Territories
Since its creation, Innovafeed has developed a cutting-edge technology for the production of insects for animal and plant feed in order to provide a concrete response to two major challenges: the protein deficit, which is expected to reach more than 40 million tonnes by 2030 for aquaculture alone (source: FAO); and the fight against climate change, since the agro-industry currently accounts for up to 30% of global CO2 emissions.
The inauguration of the extension of the Nesle site marks a milestone in the industrialization and scaling-up phase of this proprietary technology. It also illustrates the development of Innovafeed’s cutting-edge technology and its contribution to the emergence of the insect industry, an innovative sector that meets the food and climate challenges of tomorrow, in the heart of the Hauts de France region.
It reinforces “Tech for Impact†that, thanks to an industrial symbiosis model, contributes to the decarbonization of the agro-industry by reducing its carbon footprint and that of its industrial partners by 80% compared to other insect farming models. Innovafeed’s “Tech for Impact†that is being deployed at the Nesle site includes
- 10,000 sensors specific to insect rearing that measure, control and optimize parameters such as temperature and humidity at all times,
- collects more than 20,000 eggs per second, and
- leverages AI to predict production operations and thus better control them.
In addition to this technological performance, Innovafeed’s black soldier fly guarantees high protein content and beneficial properties for animal health. Recent studies conducted by Innovafeed show that by including 7.5% of Innovafeed’s protein in the feed, shrimp growth is improved by more than 25% and mortality is reduced by more than 20%.
This technology, combined with its industrial symbiosis model, ensures economic and environmental performance. Thanks to this model, the company (certified B Corpâ„¢) enables its industrial partners to save the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of more than 10,000 French households. Its vertical production model also allows it to reduce its land footprint (5,000m² of floor space that corresponds to 25,000m² of total floor space) while ensuring a steady ramp-up in production capacity.
Out of Innovafeed’s 350 employees, 200 are dedicated to the development of technology and know-how at its sites. In addition, by actively participating in the emergence of the Insect Industry, Innovafeed is helping to:
- increase the share of “Made-in-France†alternative proteins,
- to reduce, in the long term, the share of imported proteins (70% to date in Europe, about 50% for France) and
- to consolidate French industrial and food sovereignty
Finally, Innovafeed’s technology is already being used internationally. In January 2023, Innovafeeed, alongside its partner and industrial shareholder ADM, one of the world’s leading agribusinesses, has begun to lay the groundwork for the implementation of its circular model next to ADM’s plant and headquarters in Decatur, IL, the largest American agricultural site of its kind. This expansion, that will also deploy Innovafeed’s unique industrial symbiosis model, is a further demonstra tion of confidence and ambition for the industry.
