On the opening day of the Global Shrimp Forum, BioMar, Innovafeed and Auchan have announced a significant industry commitment: the large-scale integration of insect protein into commercial shrimp feed in Ecuador.
This milestone marks a turning point for both the insect and aquaculture industries, demonstrating that insect protein is a viable part of the solution in responsible and resilient shrimp farming.
In a joint statement, Innovafeed CEO Clément Ray and chief business officer Elizaveta Le Floch said the partnership marked a defining moment for the entire insect and aquaculture industries, adding that by combining Innovafeed’s technology with BioMar’s aquafeed expertise and Auchan’s retail leadership, they could demonstrate that sustainable shrimp farming is scalable, economically viable and consumer-ready
Successful trials with shrimp
BioMar says its recent trials indicate that insect meal could do more than replace fishmeal as a protein source. The company reports that black soldier fly meal delivers functional benefits in shrimp diets, such as antimicrobial peptides, which could allow it to substitute ingredients of similar value already used in commercial feeds.
The finding gives insect meal a viable entry point into shrimp feeds at its current market value. From there, it could be scaled and eventually become competitive in the protein ingredient segment, but for now it plays an important role in the functional ingredient space in aquafeeds.
“In BioMar we believe in the sustainable future of the aquaculture industry and alternative ingredients like insect meal play a vital role in this. Working together with Auchan and Innovafeed, we have established a viable commercial model for insect meal. It was important to design a scalable model that leveraged the unique functional benefits of black soldier fly in shrimp diets. Any shrimp farmer purchasing BioMar feeds from Ecuador can leverage this commercial opportunity,” added Henrik Aarestrup, vice president LATAM shrimp and hatchery, BioMar.
As part of this industry-first initiative, Auchan, one of Europe’s leading retailers, will support the rollout by integrating shrimp raised on this next-generation feed into its responsible sourcing strategy and product offering.
The commitment marks a step toward scaling insect-based solutions in aquaculture. It highlights the shared ambition of feed, retail and agritechnology players to promote a circular, low-impact protein model, reducing reliance on wild-caught fish and conventional crops, while supporting responsible shrimp farming.
