Gotta Get Them Bugs - Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Their Potential to Replace Palm Oil.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil as a sustainable alternative to palm oil, focusing on its capacity to reduce land use, restore biodiversity, and sequester carbon. The study compared the chemical composition and productivity of BSFL oil with palm oil, highlighting the significant reduction in land use required for BSFL oil production through vertical farming. Results showed that black soldier fly larvae BSFL oil could be a promising sustainable alternative to palm oil, with significant land use reduction and biodiversity benefits. BSFL oil production yielded 18.4 kg per square meter per year, compared to palm oil's 11.7 kg. Vertical farming could further enhance this yield to 275.9 kg per square meter per year, requiring only 0.7 million hectares to replace the current 16.6 million hectares of palm oil plantations. Reforestation of the 4.25 million acres used for palm cultivation could sequester approximately 420 million tons of CO2e over 50 years, supporting biodiversity restoration. BSFL oil's chemical composition, with about 80% triglycerides esterified with long chain fatty acids, showed potential for replacing palm oil in various applications, although refinement is necessary to address impurities. These findings underscore the potential of BSFL oil as a more sustainable and efficient alternative to palm oil, offering substantial benefits for land use, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.