Anders Rod Thomsen
Better Insect Solutions
Black soldier flies are enabling the conversion of real food waste into high-value animal feed and soil enhancers, offering a sustainable alternative to landfilling and composting. With growing industry interest and proven results, this insect-based model is gaining momentum as a circular solution.
Black soldier flies are proving to be a powerful solution for breaking down organic waste, including food scraps and agricultural residues, into high-quality protein and nutrient-rich frass. Shachar Group is leveraging this natural breakdown process to promote a more sustainable and resource-efficient model of waste management.
Itzik Shachar, with over two decades of experience in the food waste management sector, began exploring the use of insects for processing organic materials as early as 2016. His vision was to transform food and agricultural waste into valuable animal feed, while simultaneously reducing methane emissions from landfills. This approach represents both environmental responsibility and economic innovation. Since 2005, Itzik and his brother Shay have been operating an industrial startup focused on recycling food waste—such as former foodstuffs and by-products from the human food industry—into animal feed.
Over the years, the startup they founded has evolved into Israel’s largest food waste recycling company, now processing over 70,000 tons of food waste annually.
“It’s an excellent time to invest in this industry,” says Itzik. “While the journey has had its challenges, the sector is now increasingly guided by tangible results and profitability rather than solely by vision.”
Together with technology partners like Big Dutchman Group and Better Insect Solutions, Shachar Group is demonstrating how insect farming—especially using black soldier fly larvae—can upcycle waste into premium feed products. These larvae efficiently digest organic materials that would otherwise be discarded, contributing to a circular economy.
Itzik emphasizes the importance of using “real food waste”—waste that is not currently repurposed for livestock feed and is typically destined for landfilling, composting, or anaerobic digestion. When compliant with regulations, this waste can be transformed into low-cost, nutritionally rich diets for insect larvae. In contrast, competing with existing feed markets leads to unsustainable cost structures.
Since 2021, Shachar Group has led extensive R&D focused on optimizing the composition and performance of larvae diets based on real food waste. Building on early groundwork laid in 2005, the company continues to advance affordable and effective feeding strategies.
Black soldier flies hold a unique advantage over traditional livestock. While pigs and poultry consume common by-products like brewery waste, these insects can digest a broader range of organic inputs and convert them into premium-quality animal feed and valuable soil-enriching frass. This process not only improves sustainability but also mitigates harmful emissions.
Shachar Group encourages broader industry adoption of this model and urges policymakers—particularly in Europe—to support the integration of real food waste into insect farming. This will help scale circular, sustainable practices that benefit the environment, strengthen industrial collaboration, and enhance long-term profitability.