BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
In the world of sustainable agriculture, one tiny insect is punching well above its weight. The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), known for their insatiable appetite, are proving to be a game-changing solution to food waste and soil degradation. With the ability to consume nearly any organic material, these larvae are transforming discarded food scraps into a nutrient-rich fertilizer known as frass—and they’re doing it four times faster than traditional composting.
The potential of BSFL has not gone unnoticed. In May 2024, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded grants to three projects harnessing the power of these insects. Among them is Chapul Farms, an Oregon-based company pioneering insect-based agriculture to reduce food waste, restore soil health, and create high-quality animal feed.
As global soil depletion becomes a growing crisis—with over thirty-three percent of the world’s soil already degraded—frass is emerging as a natural and sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers. But despite its promise, widespread adoption remains limited. The question is, why?
A natural recycler: how BSFL turn waste into frass
BSFL aren’t picky eaters. They consume everything from food scraps to agricultural byproducts, making them ideal for large-scale waste processing.
“They can reproduce pretty quickly too,” says Shankar Ganapathi Shanmugam, an assistant research professor at Mississippi State University. “And they grow on dead and decaying material, which means they can survive on waste.”
At Chapul Farms, the larvae devour organic matter at an astonishing rate—processing waste in a fraction of the time traditional composting requires. While composting can take up to ten months, BSFL can break down material in days. Their waste-to-frass conversion process creates a closed-loop system, eliminating food waste and reintroducing valuable nutrients into depleted soil.
The benefits don’t stop there. By integrating frass into agricultural soil, Chapul Farms is rebuilding insect populations, as insect-friendly soils encourage biodiversity and restore ecosystems.
From waste to nutrient gold: frass as a sustainable fertilizer
The frass produced by BSFL is packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which are essential for plant growth. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, which degrade soil health over time, frass improves biodiversity and water retention.
“We could make compost out of anything, but the impact of running it through insect biology has all of these positive implications,” says Mimi Casteel, an Oregon wine farmer using Chapul’s frass. “It’s portable, low-cost compared to other solutions, and black soldier flies are restoring lost diversity to our soil.”
Chapul Farms has partnered with local vineyards and farms, exchanging food waste for frass and creating a circular, waste-free agricultural system.
Yet, despite the environmental and economic benefits, frass remains underutilized. One key challenge? Regulation.
Regulatory roadblocks: why isn’t frass mainstream yet?
While European countries have been studying frass for years, the US is still playing catch-up. Shanmugam notes that “finding a use for this is important, but if you’re going to market frass as a fertilizer, you need to regulate it, which takes time. And to make these regulations, you need research.”
Currently, the US National Organic Program does not recognize insects as an acceptable input in organic farming. This means farmers using organic practices cannot yet adopt frass on a large scale—even though it provides a natural, non-chemical alternative to conventional fertilizers.
Despite these hurdles, teams like Chapul Farms are working with regulators to raise awareness about frass and pave the way for its inclusion in organic certification.
Economic impact: a cost-saving alternative to synthetic fertilizers
In addition to being environmentally sustainable, frass could also be financially beneficial for farmers. Fertilizer prices more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, and with the US being the world’s third-largest fertilizer importer, supply chain disruptions have made it even harder for farmers to secure stable fertilizer sources.
“We recently saw a push for government funding to support domestic fertilizer production,” says Aly Moore, Chief Communications Officer at Chapul Farms. “We realize how many health issues are caused by the reduced nutrient density in crops, and all the pesticides used. Farmers will not only need less fertilizer over time but also fewer pesticides.”
With USDA funding, Chapul Farms plans to expand BSFL facilities in Oregon and North Dakota, each expected to produce ten thousand tons of frass per year and create fifty-nine new jobs upon opening in 2026.
Beyond fertilizer: the overlooked potential of frass
While BSFL protein production for animal feed is a billion-dollar industry, frass has remained largely undervalued. In 2023, the global frass market was worth $96 million, but its projected growth is substantial.
“Insect farms produce twice as much frass as larvae,” says Michael Place, Chief Technology Officer at Chapul Farms. “But farmers have been conditioned to think of insects as a problem rather than part of the solution.”
The truth is, insects are keystone species, meaning entire ecosystems depend on their existence. As biologist Dave Goulson wrote in The Guardian, “Our world would grind to a halt without insects.”
Pat Crowley, CEO of Chapul Farms, echoes this sentiment: “At its core, we cannot survive without insects. Natural ecosystems cannot flourish without them. It’s one of the biggest levers we have in making agriculture a more resilient, ecosystem-based model.”
Can BSFL transform global agriculture?
With food waste soaring and soil quality plummeting, BSFL presents an opportunity to revolutionize agriculture. As research expands and regulations evolve, frass has the potential to become a mainstream, sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers.
The future of farming might just rest in the tiny, wriggling hands of black soldier fly larvae—and that’s a solution worth buzzing about.
