Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr
Edible insects widely used for food, cosmetics, fertilizers
Korea Edible Insect Laboratory (KEIL) CEO Kim Young-wook gives a presentation at the firm's smart farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Monday. Joint Press Corps
By Lee Kyung-min
Korea fosters green bio industry players KEIL, SUNBIO
By Lee Kyung-min
CHEONGJU ― Bugs are not the first thing to come to mind when people think about what to eat. Rather, the thought of putting them in our mouth is almost always likely to induce a gag reflex.
Such longstanding perceptions are taking a new eco-friendly turn underpinned by the sustainable use of this high-quality source of protein and fat in the broader context of resource recycling.
How then do bugs help advance the green drive? The answer lies in feeding them.
Throwing out expired confectioneries and beverages is costly for convenience store operators and damaging to the environment.
Time, workers and logistics are all resources needed to dispose of them.
But what if bugs could do the job? They need to eat something to survive anyway.
Trays filled with mealworms are stacked up at the KEIL farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province
This was the thinking of Korea Edible Insect Laboratory (KEIL) CEO Kim Young-wook, who runs a smart bug farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
The idea led to a related pilot program that is gaining traction with large conglomerates from within the country and around the world.
“The bug business needs a new approach,” Kim said during a press briefing with a group of reporters, Monday.
KEIL collaborates with CU, a major local convenience store operator, to collect and dispose of expired snacks to make feed for bugs raised at the factory. Included are bags of chips, instant noodles and gummy bears.
“CU saves money on waste treatment and we can find a stable source for production materials. It's a win-win for both of us, especially the convenience store for promoting the brand as a green sustainable entity,” he said.
The strategy is appreciated by many firms showing great interest in advancing environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals. He had a meeting with POSCO officials in the department of technology development and investment recently. KEIL signed a partnership agreement in 2018 with Paris-based Ynsect, the world's largest insect firm, and has since strengthened cooperation for joint business expansions.
Bugs produce high-quality protein and fat ― valuable input materials for food, drugs, cosmetics and animal feed. But negative perceptions despite the clear and undeniable health benefits remain strong, which is probably why they are best processed with other ingredients.
The 3,305-square-meter, two-story farm building has a vertical structure ― best for bug farming. Over 8,800 blue trays are stacked up with one tray filled with up to 12,000 mealworms. The automated system helps to fuel growth of the worms every 80 days after undergoing four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
“About 10 local farms will utilize our business model before the year's end,” Kim said.
A manufacturing facility of SUNBIO in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province / Joint Press Corps
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed the sales of the local bug farming industry came to 44.6 billion won ($33.7 million) in 2021, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier.
The global bug-related market is expected to grow to over 2.4 trillion won in 2024, more than double from 1 trillion won in 2019.
Propelling the rapid growth is interest in the industry's low environmental pollution compared to livestock farming. Bug farming produces only one-seventh the greenhouse gases of cows, pigs and chicken farms.
SUNBIO, a Cheonan-based probiotics feed supplement manufacturer, is seeking rapid expansion in China on strong demand for its odor-reducing healthy digestion products fed to cows, pigs and chickens.