It’s estimated that 46.5 million households enjoy cats as pets in the United States. The pet food market size is projected to grow to $76 billion in 2024 which could translate to incredible opportunities for novel protein suppliers like insect producers in the coming years. A recent study in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed surveyed cat owners in Chile about their willingness to use cat food that incorporates insect ingredients. A total of 1684 participants were surveyed online, shown pictures of different types and preparations of insect ingredients in treats and food and provided with ..read more

The IUPUI Center for Translating Research in Practice (TRIP) named Dr. Christina Picard (MSU) the July Scholar of the Month. From their website: “Professor Christine Picard is a member of the groundbreaking team that established the world’s first research center dedicated to insects as feed and food, known as the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF), funded by the National Science Foundation, and other industry members. Professor Picard’s research focuses on unraveling the genetic basis of postmortem-feeding insects in the field of forensic entomology and explo ..read more

  Adult soldier fly / Freepik “The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming aims to advance insect agriculture with high-quality research.” “The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming – or CEIF – is a consortium composed of three universities: Texas A&M AgriLife, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis — also known as IUPUI – and Mississippi State University. The National Science Foundation funded the formation and management of the center, which aims to provide high-quality research on insect farming to industry so companies ca ..read more

Earlier this month, Nicolas Rivero- a climate solutions reporter for The Washinton Post, wrote an article about the race to create large insect farms- and even though the animals are small- the businesses behind them are nothing to scoff at. The article states that in the past three years, insect start-ups have raised over $1 billion in venture capital funding. And this is only the beginning.   The article dives into the recent history of large insect farms and recent partnerships with some titans of the food industry- namely Tyson Foods investing in Protix (*provide a link to our other b ..read more

“Tyson, a major US producer of beef, pork and chicken, is betting on protein that comes from insects. The meat processor said on Tuesday that it has invested in Protix, a Netherlands-based insect ingredients maker. Tyson is not only taking a minority stake in the company, but is working alongside it to build a US factory. That facility will use animal waste to feed black soldier flies, which will then be turned into food for pets, poultry and fish. Tyson did not disclose the financial specifics of the deal.” Source: CNN.com      Adult soldier fly / Freepik “Partnering with ..read more

The IUPUI Center for Translating Research in Practice (TRIP) named Dr. Christina Picard (MSU) the July Scholar of the Month. From their website: “Professor Christine Picard is a member of the groundbreaking team that established the world’s first research center dedicated to insects as feed and food, known as the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF), funded by the National Science Foundation, and other industry members. Professor Picard’s research focuses on unraveling the genetic basis of postmortem-feeding insects in the field of forensic entomology and explo ..read more

  Aggie ACHIEVE & MSU ACCESS students at the ERN Conference with the Undersecretary of Agriculture with USDA-NIFA This is another great example of the many ways that NSF CEIF is diversifying agriculture - not just in production but also providing opportunities! In this video of the 11th ERN Conference, you will hear from ERN alumni, the advisory board, and AAAS ERN Conference Program leadership. The video highlights how ERN supports STEM identity, sense of belonging and provides a platform to hone science communication skills and prepares undergraduate and graduate student STEM resea ..read more

  Adult soldier fly / Freepik Students with the “Aggie ACHIEVE” & “MSU ACCESS” presented posters at the NSF ERN Conference in DC in April, thanks to the NSF IUCRC & REM programs. They also had had a chance to meet with their House of Representative member for their respective districts while there. In total, they visited the offices of seven house of representative members. In each case, the student (as lead) was able to engage with someone from their House of Representative member’s office.  In all cases, the NSF IUCRC and REM programs were discussed and how they have allow ..read more

“Christian Anguiano, a sophomore enrolled in Texas A&M University’s Aggie ACHIEVE — Academic Courses in Higher Inclusive Education and Vocational Experiences — program, never thought bugs were especially interesting. But after a semester as an intern with Jeffery Tomberlin, Ph.D., professor, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow, Presidential Impact Fellow and director of the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming, CEIF, in the Department of Entomology, Anguiano has discovered how important insects like crickets, black soldier flies and mealworms could be to the fu ..read more

  Adult soldier fly / Freepik Students with the “Aggie ACHIEVE” & “MSU ACCESS” presented posters at the NSF ERN Conference in DC in April, thanks to the NSF IUCRC & REM programs. They also had had a chance to meet with their House of Representative member for their respective districts while there. In total, they visited the offices of seven house of representative members. In each case, the student (as lead) was able to engage with someone from their House of Representative member’s office.  In all cases, the NSF IUCRC and REM programs were discussed and how they have allow ..read more