Insect breeding in agriculture is a topic that interests more and more farmers. A symposium was held on March 2, 2023 at the Big Dutchman company headquarters in Vechta to provide information about the opportunities and risks of these alternative protein sources. The event was organized by the Big Dutchman Group with its subsidiary Better Insect Solutions (BIS) and the AgriTech startup FarmInsect.
The experts provided information about sustainable production of insects on their own farm.
- Presentation of BIS and FarmInsect by Julius Hamelmann and the founders Thomas Kuehn and Wolfgang Westermeier
- General introduction to insect breeding
- Lecture on opportunities and risks of insect breeding in agriculture
- Lecture on marketing and use of insects
- Technical challenges in insect breeding
A special highlight of the event was the offer of individual consultations to address the specific questions and needs of the participants. Overall, the symposium provided a great opportunity to learn about insect breeding in agriculture and meet industry experts.
Overall, the conference with over 140 guests, including 100 farmers, was a great success and certainly helped raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of insect breeding in agriculture. We can look forward to the coming years as this young division continues to gain momentum and offers new opportunities for sustainable and innovative protein sources.