Shrimp sector scales up insect protein in Ecuador with aquaculture feed launch

Aquaculture specialist BioMar, French agri-tech company Innovafeed, and retail giant Auchan are rolling out the large-scale use of insect protein in commercial shrimp feed in Ecuador. The stakeholders say it is a turning point for aquaculture.

The initiative will see Black Soldier Fly (BSF) meal integrated into BioMar’s Ecuador feed lines, with shrimp later sold through Auchan’s responsible sourcing channels in Europe. The partnership claims to be the first to introduce insect-based ingredients to mainstream shrimp production at scale, following earlier use in niche markets such as trout.

“This partnership represents a major step forward in demonstrating that insect-based ingredients are not only technically viable but also embraced by leading retailers and feed producers,” a spokesperson for the companies tells Food Ingredients First. 

“It illustrates the new maturity of the BSF industry: only a few years ago, such collaborations were possible only on small value chains like trout in France; today, we can scale them up to much larger industries such as Ecuadorian shrimp.”

Insect protein benefits

The collaboration is designed to accelerate the adoption of insect protein by proving its scalability, nutritional performance, and role in reducing dependence on marine resources. 

Innovafeed stresses that insect feeding is not a novel practice in nature, but rather a replication of wild diets.

“In the wild, shrimp and fish naturally feed on insects, so this is not introducing something ‘new’ but rather mimicking nature,” say the companies. 

Auchan is preparing to highlight this natural story to its customers, emphasizing both the nutritional performance of insect-fed shrimp and its contribution to preserving marine resources.

Insect protein has been authorized for use in aquaculture feed in the EU since 2017, where the group is also exploring new opportunities. 

Expected environmental outcomes include reduced reliance on wild fishmeal, lower CO2 emissions through Innovafeed’s industrial symbiosis model, and improved shrimp health through functional nutrients in BSF meal.

The initial volumes are supplied by Innovafeed’s Nesle facility in France, which claims to be the largest vertical insect farm in the world. 

Clément Ray, CEO and co-founder of Innovafeed, and Elizaveta Le Floch, chief business officer, state: “This partnership is a defining moment not just for Innovafeed, but for the entire insect and aquaculture industries. By combining our technology with BioMar’s aquafeed expertise and Auchan’s retail leadership, we’re proving that sustainable shrimp farming can be scaled, economically viable, and consumer-ready.”