Advancing insect agriculture through collaboration
What is CEIF?
The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF) represents a first-of-its-kind research center that helps the Insect Agriculture Sector realize its potential to sustainably deliver alternative proteins, functional/therapeutic ingredients, and more.
We are working with Industry, Academia, and Government to pursue foundational, pre-competitive research that will drive growth of the Insect Agriculture sector.
Sound like you? Support our mission by joining our initiative.
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We have one planet with limited resources.
Insect farming is part of the solution. Less water. Less land.
Less greenhouse gas emissions.
More options.
We provide high quality research that meets the needs of industry, so that industry, in turn, can further explore the use of insect protein, with suitable regulatory approvals, as food for humans and animals.
Foundational research that will drive growth of the Insect Agriculture sector
CEIF SEMINAR SERIES SPOTLIGHT
The CEIF Seminar Series offers regular presentations from researchers and guest lecturers on various aspects of insect agriculture. These include discussions of papers in the CEIF Digital Library, presentations by experts, and detailed explorations of CEIF projects.
Dr. Giri Athrey’s seminar explores the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a sustainable alternative protein source in poultry feed, aiming to reduce reliance on conventional ingredients like soybean and corn. He highlights the environmental impact of current feed production and the increasing global demand for poultry.
Two trials investigated the effects of different BSFL inclusion levels (0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10%) on broiler growth, inflammation, stress biomarkers, and gut microbiota. Trial 1 showed that even low BSFL inclusion (0.5%) could benefit inflammation control, with 1%, 5%, and 10% showing better results for both inflammation and stress.
Overall, the findings suggest that low-level BSFL inclusion can offer synergistic benefits for broiler health and potentially improve food safety. The study also emphasizes the importance of BSFL freshness and storage conditions for their efficacy as a feed ingredient.
