Get The Bug

In this episode, you will hear from Laura Gasco from the University of Torino, one of the organizers of the Insects to Feed the World conference (June 9–12, 2026, in Torino, Italy), and Jerome Casas, professor of ecology at the University of Tours in France and recipient of the Humboldt Prize for lifetime achievement. We discussed the upcoming IFW26 conference, where Laura introduced invited speak...

In this episode, you will listen to Daniela Peguero, researcher at Eawag’s Department of Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development (SANDEC), working on the implementation of black soldier fly farming in several African countries through projects such as BUGS Africa and SWIFT (Sustainable Waste-based Insect Farming Technologies). We discussed practical field experiences from Uganda and Mala...

In this episode, you will hear from Meghan Barrett, Assistant Professor of Biology at Indiana University Indianapolisand Founding Director of the Insect Welfare Research Society, together with Laura Gasco from the University of Torino. We discuss what animal welfare means from a scientific perspective and why welfare should not be confused with productivity — a crucia...

In this episode, you will hear from Adi Abada and Idan Aliagor, both from FreezeM. We discussed the challenges that first-generation insect farming companies faced — mainly, having to build everything from scratch. As Idan explained, trying to manage the entire value chain at once made it extremely difficult to optimize any individual segment. Today, the rise of specialized players like...

In this episode, you will hear from  Arnold van Huis , emeritus professor at Wageningen University and one of the world’s leading pioneers in the edible-insect sector, and  Laura Gasco  from the University of Torino, who will coordinate the  Insects to Feed the World  conference (June 9–12, 2026, in Torino). We discussed common misconceptions and doubts surrounding edible...

In this episode, you will hear from Cameron Richards, president of AFFIA, the Asian Food and Feed Insect Association, and senior manager at Veolia in the R&D innovations team. We talked about the current state of insect farming in Asia, with a special focus on findings from AFFIA’s ongoing survey, which is mapping production capacities, business models, and market dynamics across the region. A...

In this episode, you will hear from Hidaya Taufek, senior lecturer in animal nutrition and feed technology at the University of Malaya. With Hidaya, we discussed insect farming as an inclusive activity for small farmers and students, the valorization of palm oil waste, the challenges posed by the absence of regulations on substrates, and even blind taste tests that revealed surprising flavors in f...

In this episode, you will hear from Oliver Schlüter, the spokesperson for the Healthy Foods program area at the ATB, the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy. We talked about the potential role of insect farming and insect biotechnology in connecting and leading the way in research and discussions about alternative proteins and new food systems. Our conversation stemmed fr...

In this episode you will listen to the conversation I recorded with Sergiy Smetana, Head of the Food Data Group at the German Institute of Food Technologies. We talked about organic waste, how to define it and how it is treated, and the role of insect farming in all of this. All of these topics, and many many more, will be discussed at INSECTSplus, the event hosted by the same German Institute of...

In this episode, you will hear from a very special guest: Volker Heinz, the director of the German Institute of Food Technologies. We discussed circularity in the food system, CO2 and nitrogen cycles, new fields, trials and errors, and alternative proteins. Dr. Heinz's journey into the world of insect-based protein began 15 years ago during a visit to the pet food industry. He recalled that during...

Michael is back! In this episode you will listen to the conversation we recorded at the Insects to Feed the World conference in Singapore. Michael Place, Chapul Farms CTO, free thinker and natural philosopher, always boosts my curiosity and commitment, and I bet this episode will do the same for you. Chapul Farms is an innovative company specializing in insect agriculture. They design, build, and...

In this episode you will listen to the conversation I recorded with David Giron, CNRS research director and IRBI director. The Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI) is a research institute located in Tours, France. Established in 1960 the institute has evolved into a multidisciplinary center integrating ecology, physiology, genetics, chemistry, physics, bioinformatics, and math...

In this episode you will listen to the conversation I recorded with Nathan Preteseille, insects as food and feed expert, AFFIA Founder, project manager at at La Compagnie des Insectes, and Vouvray producer. We talked about regulatory limitations in Europe, South East Asia and US, unlocking the insects potential in agriculture, frass, the insect-based biofertilzer - and French wine. Nathan shared h...

In this episode you will listen to the conversation I recorded with David Eshed, from FreezeM. David is in charge of the business development of FreezeM, an Israeli company focused on the breeding stage of Black Soldier Fly. We talked about bad waste and good news, insect protein production, vertical integration and specialisation within the industry, and the present and the future of the sector....

In this episode you will listen to the conversation I recorded in Singapore with Dennis Oonincx and Teun Veldkamp from Wageningen University, Shaphan Chia, from the ICIPE, Kenya, Karol Barragán Fonseca, professor at the Universidad Nacional De Colombia and “Insects For Peace” founder, and Micheal Place and David Eshed, from two companies: Chapul Farms and FreezeM. Dennis Oonincx discussed the curr...

My name is Umberto Diecinove,  I am a documentary photographer and I am currently leading a project titled I N S C T S which explores the potential role of insects in addressing environmental and social challenges. I’m doing it traveling, photographing research centers, farms, communities and companies all over the world and engaging with world experts, visionary entrepreneurs, activists and...

In this "Get The Bug" episode you will listen to a prominent and renowned figure of the “insect space”: Andreas Vilcinskas. Director of the Institute for Insect Biotechnology and Insect Biomedicine he is also heading the branch “Bioresources” of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, both in Germany. Andreas Vilcinskas is recognized internationally for his expertise an...

Which is the relation between insecticides and insect as feed and food? Is industry running ahead of the research? What a flexiterian is? What about Kenya and Black Soldier Fly farming? And (ghost questions): every tomato sauce makes your spaghetti “bolognese?”, what about reducing meat consumption and insects as food? Recorded at Wageningen University in 2022 with: Joop Van Loon, Teun Veldkamp, S...

Where is the cutting edge research going? Which are the new prominent topics? Insect farming will be more about waste management and soil health? What about Singapore on the "insect space" map? We went through all of these questions with Moritz Gold and Leo Wein, both from the “Insects To Feed The World 2024” Committee. The IFW conference is the premier conference for the Insects as Feed and Food...

Featuring Rossita Sahpawi, lecturer and researcher from the Borneo Marine Research Institute in Malaysia - with Rossita we discussed the potential of black soldier fly larvae to serve as an aquaculture feed ingredient in marine species - Chujun Li, entomology post doc at Sun Yat-Se University and R&D manager at Unique Biotechnology in Guangzhou, China, Yodai Okuyama, Study Team Member of the J...

Ft. Ian Jones systems and design thinker, co-founder of (among many other things) Agri House , an innovation impact venture working with marginalized communities to overcome food and financial insecurity in Cambodia. Listen to our conversation to know more about Cambodian cricket farmers of all abilities, inclusive venture and adapting financing. "If we can create an enabling and supportive e...

With  Sergiy Smetana (Head of Food Data Group at the German Institute of Food Technologies) we talked about the big picture, alternative proteins, environmental impact, tasty ants, upcycling and High-Pressure processing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Featuring  Emilie Devic  (AFFIA vice secretary),  Martin Zorrilla  (General Chair of the IFW2024 Local Organizing Committee) and  IAN JONES  (Agri House). We talked about the South Est Asian context, networking and secrecy, the next Insects To Feed the World, which will take place in Singapore, in 2024, and about the role of insect farming in marginalized communities...

“We’re really quickly approaching a sort of tipping point where the broader agribusiness community, livestock community, and sustainable food community are recognizing insect agriculture as one of a variety of solutions. And it’s one that really elevates and increases the efficiency of other operations”, RNA (Robert Nathan Allan)  executive director of the FUTURE of FOOD event series, cofound...

Con la participación de  Karol Barragán Fonseca,  profesora en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia y fundadora y de “Insects For Peace” y  Julieth Rodriguez ,  Erika Perez ,  Martha Nelly Castañeda ,  Juan de la Cruz Vega ,  Juan Antonio Castro  y  Alberto Ocampo  que viven en el AETCR Jaime Pardo Leal. “Este es un proceso que puede independizar a...