2024-07-27 12:29:18
Present in the “Start-ups Village” pavilion at the 15th edition of the International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM), “IZIprotéine” is committed to the mission of fighting against the scarcity of resources with a virtually zero carbon footprint, and therefore, of putting nature at the service of nature, by adopting a circular approach, of valorizing organic co-products into protein flour.
An innovative process that seems to interest many visitors who flock to the startup pavilion, with the aim of discovering bioconversion technology up close, which represents an original form of food recycling. More concretely, insects feed on organic waste and thus transform it into a source of protein, and therefore produce sustainable resources.
The fly “Hermetia illucens”, or “Black soldier fly”, is used to recover biowaste, thus, the larvae feed on this organic matter and convert the nutrients present, with part of the larvae retained to ensure the renewal of the colony.
And that’s not all, the larvae are then transformed by thermomechanical processes, without any use of chemicals, into 3 finished products, proteins as a component for animal feed, oil used for animal feed, and sustainable organic fertilizers for soil fertilization.
From production residues to high value-added products. “IZIprotéine” uses an approach “part of an industrial approach to the circular economy within the territories to contribute to more sustainable agri-food systems”, the founder of the start-up, Hasna Afounas, tells MAP.
The goal, she explains, is to provide a reliable solution adapted to the Moroccan and African context, noting that organic waste is treated sustainably, and the negative impacts are limited. The residue from livestock farming is also quality organic fertilizers that can be used in organic farming.
Ms. Afounas, a graduate in biology and business management, further noted that food waste in Morocco has become “serious” in intensity, hence the original idea of recycling waste in a different way, instead of sending it to landfills, adding that a third of the food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted each year, and 95% of food waste ends up in landfills.
Asked about the choice of insects to carry out this operation, Ms. Afounas said that they are able to recover nutrients from organic residues and reintegrate them into the food value chain, thus contributing to a circular economy.
Since no fertile land is needed for their production, insects represent a promising and sustainable new source compared to current main alternatives, she noted, noting that insects can recover up to 70% of proteins from organic waste, and that some species, such as the black soldier fly, are well suited to large-scale growth.
For a more sustainable future, “IZIprotéine” has revolutionized the production of fertilizers, through purely ecological solutions, and an environmentally friendly agricultural approach, aware of the need to do better, and to contribute to the objective of a better future for all.
2024-07-27 12:29:18