Insect farm’s plans for sustainable protein

“Farmers cannot keep up with humanity’s growing demand for more protein to eat. The world is being pushed to look at alternative sources of protein. One such source that can be used is insects, as they’re the most efficient converters of food to protein.”

So says Dr Michael Woods, co-founder and CEO of Susento, an innovation company that mass produces black soldier fly larvae for feed and food purposes. It is based on Stellenbosch University’s Mariendahl experimental farm.

Woods started researching insect farming while studying for his MSc in Animal Sciences at the university in 2016.

“This is where my interest in insects started,” Woods recalls. He studied under Dr Elsje