Indiana University Indianapolis researchers are tackling one of Earth’s biggest challenges — food security and climate responsiveness — with one of its smallest assets: insects. Supported by a three-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Global Centers program, they will develop sustainable and scalable solutions aimed at shifting traditional agriculture toward a bio-based model using insects.
While insects are already used as a sustainable protein alternative for human food and animal feed products, the researchers believe they can do much more. The project brings together biologists, earth scientists, social scientists, economists and humanists who will work collaboratively with global academic and industry partners to highlight the important role insect farming can play in the biomanufacturing industry.
Gabriel Filippelli leads IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute and the Sustaining Earth Consortium at IU Indianapolis. As a co-principal investigator on the project, he will examine the impact of an insect-based food system on carbon emissions, water and fertilizer use, and the recycling of organic waste, as well as the potential uptake in harmful chemicals in the environment, which could be in stark contrast to our current agriculture-based food system.
