European Fund for Regional Development
Europe invests in it’s regions.
We face an enormous challenge as regards the worldwide food system. In 2050, 9 billion mouths need to be fed. Besides, the increasing prosperity leads to a shift in which the average world citizen has an increasing demand for animal protein. This challenge we are facing is huge and can be noted as ‘The Protein Challenge’.
The main protein sources in the feed composition of pig, poultry, and aquaculture are fishmeal and soy. These ingredients are characterized by their lack of sustainability. Soy is one of the main causes of deforestation in South America and Southeast Asia. Rain forest needs to make place for farmland. The processing of wild caught fish into fishmeal and fish oil leads to overfishing. Both of these sources are not future proof.
A transition towards an innovative way of feed and food production in which the whole supply chain is reorganised is of major importance at this moment. We, as Syklus, see enormous potential in the huge pile of waste that is generated by the food supply chain each year in the European Union. In 2015 this concerned an astonishing 100 million tonnes! By combining a surplus with a deficit we have the key to a circular agricultural supply chain.
Syklus produces high value ingredients for petfood and animal feed purposes by valorising waste streams through insects. In this way we contribute to a circular food systems.
We use local waste streams that would otherwise be used for the production of biogas. By valorising it into animal feed and petfood we are able to upcycle and add value to the waste. We utilize the full potential of the nutrients and encounter wastage!
When looking at the proteinaceous meal we deliver to the aquaculture feed industry, a reduction of 55-65% in greenhouse gas emission (CO2-equivalents) is achieved!
Invertebrates, like the Black Soldier Fly (BSF), have already passed through 500 million years of evolution. For your imagination, we humans only passed through 2.5 million years. This is the cause for the enormous and unbelievable efficiency and adaption of invertebrates.
One example of this breath-taking efficiency is the conversion of feed. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the BSF is approximately 1.3. In comparison, the most efficient production animal we know, the broiler chicken, has a FCR of 2.5. When also accounting for the percentage of the animal that can be consumed, the difference will become larger seen the 100% utilization of the BSF larvae.
This efficient FCR can be accounted to the fact that the BSF is coldblooded. The animal does not consume any energy to maintain body temperature.
The cycle from larvae to fly
A production time of 12 days
Because the larvae are kept in stacked crates, we can farm highly efficient on a limited surface. This way of vertical farming is characterized by producing as much as possible on as less as needed surface.
We believe in open innovation and sector development. That is the reason we are actively participating in different research topics. We are eager to share information and insights!
More information?
Timeline
-
Participating in the 'Business Innovation Program Food'
February 2021Participating in the acceleration program for food innovating start-ups initiated by the Dutch government.
-
Establishment Syklus B.V.
January 2021 -
Research facility
September 2020With the development of our research facility we want to gain insights in the biology of the BSF and its larvae.
Our products
SyklusFrass
SyklusFrass is what is left after the larvae have digested the substrate. Frass contains high amounts of chitin which makes…
Our Team
Founder
MSc Business Economics
Founder
BSc Mechanical Engineering
Insect Nutrition Reseacher | Environmental Sustainability Analyst
MSc Animal Sciences
