Insect protein producers Innovafeed and Protix released a joint position paper arguing that the carbon footprint of black soldier fly protein falls sharply as production scales from pilot to industrial levels. The paper cites life cycle assessment data showing emissions can range from 0.5 to 77 kg CO2e per kg protein depending on scale and methods. Innovafeed says it cut its carbon intensity fivefold since 2022, reaching 1.2 kg CO2 per kg protein in 2025, with a target of 0.6 kg by 2030. The companies also compare insect meal favorably against soy and fish meal, noting that standard LCAs often miss land-use change and ocean carbon disruption. The paper highlights the role of industrial integration, such as co-locating with partners to recover waste heat and using wet organic by-products from adjacent plants. Innovafeed says this approach cut the carbon footprint of its meal by 80% versus non-integrated production. The companies acknowledge their commercial interest and note the data is third-party reviewed. While the numbers are company-backed, the scale trend is clear: insect protein becomes more competitive as operations mature.
