Flipping through the reports by the United Nations study (UN) published back in 2014, Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, co-founders of Loopworm, came across the concept of an insect-based product market which had already gained traction in the West.
Their interest in social entrepreneurship and motivation to work in the waste management sector led to the inception of Loopworm, based out of Bengaluru, that works in the 'Waste to Value' biotechnology space. The startup is developing an insect-based sustainable protein for poultry, aquaculture, and pets, among other industries.
“We wanted to bring back the food waste into the loop again and create a sustainable food system, where we utilise all of the food wastes from the food processing industry,â€_x009d_ says Bagaria, while talking to Let Me Breathe.
He further says, “The UN report stated that insects are the future of food and feed. That’s where we came across our insect, which is the Black Soldier Fly larvae, that we use for waste management. And insects normally are detritivores (organisms that consume dead organic matter). So, it’s a very efficient way to convert food waste into food again because food waste becomes the food for insects. Insects are the natural food for fish and birds.â€_x009d_
One of the major problems that most of the countries face is managing food waste. “50 percent of the waste in India is food waste and it is grossly miscalculated as well. Moreover, around two billion people globally have insects as part of their staple diet. I am not here to push insect protein in our food. All we are trying to do is create an indirect sustainable food system by introducing insect protein for the animals who give us food,â€_x009d_ concludes Bagaria.