- Silkworm-based feed ingredients are emerging as a mainstream alternative to fishmeal and soymeal due to climate-related supply issues and increasing sustainability regulations.
- Loopworm’s silkworm-based ingredients offer a substantially lower environmental footprint, including net carbon-negative production, compared to conventional feed ingredients.
- Ongoing product development is focused on optimising nutritional profiles to maximize benefits for specific animal species.
Insect protein has long been positioned as an alternative input in animal feed, but Loopworm co‑founder and COO Abhi Gawri said market dynamics are now shifting decisively in its favour.
“On the supply side, the climate vulnerability and supply chain fragility of ingredients like fishmeal is already clear. In 2023, due to El Nino, global fishmeal production fell by 23%, while fish oil output declined by 21% driving up fishmeal prices as an effect. In this context, insect proteins can change the equation significantly,” Gawri told AgTechNavigator.
He also highlighted how the tightening expectations on sustainability are eroding the dominance of the conventional feed ingredients.
“On the demand side, sustainability is now not just an afterthought, but a commercial imperative particularly in regulated markets like Europe, US and Japan. With conventional ingredients like soy linked to deforestation and change in land use patterns, the minimal impact of insects on global warming, land and water use is advantageous,” said Gawri.
By contrast, insect‑based ingredients have a substantially lower footprint.
Environmental positioning
Loopworm recently announced the results of an independent Life Cycle Assessment.
It reported that its silkworm-based ingredients for pet and animal nutrition are net carbon negative, actively removing more carbon than they emit.
According to the insect biotech company, producing 1kg of of Loopworm’s silkworm-based ingredients removes 2.56 kg of CO₂ equivalent on a cradle-to-gate basis.
“With our independent Life Cycle Assessment validating not just that we’re reducing carbon but actively removing it, we are providing feed manufacturers a quantified, auditable claim as opposed to speculation. The conditions are right; the proof is in the pudding. It is not a question of if silkworm ingredients can break the niche positioning, it is when,” said Gawri.
The assessment, conducted by PwC India in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, evaluated LoopMeal and LoopOil across 18 impact categories for modelling environmental impacts using SimaPro LCA tool and the ReCiPe midpoint methodology.
The study benchmarked LoopMeal and LoopOil against conventional protein meals and oils used in animal and pet nutrition, evaluating them across 18 sustainability parameters that quantifies marine, terrestrial and human health impact in comparison with conventional marine and plant-based ingredients.
As confidence in insect protein grows, Loopworm’s product development was undergoing a shift to optimise its products.
“We have an established and consistent nutritional profile. The next frontier is to unlock the maximum benefit for specific animals through precise formulation, whether shrimp, salmon, poultry, or pets,” said Gawri.
New opportunities
Loopworm is positioning its silkworm‑based ingredients as the value-added option with more benefits than conventional options.
Independent third‑party feeding trials in shrimp have shown its silkworm‑based protein can outperform fishmeal in key production metrics.
Trials using LoopMealPro recorded improvements of up to 19% in feed conversion ratio, an 11.5% increase in growth rates and a 30% reduction in mortality compared with fishmeal‑based diets.
“In terms of real value through improved FCR, faster growth rates and improved survival rates, we’re actually delivering more than what is expected at this price point. Simply put, we are offering more value than we are charging for,” said Gawri.
Regarding supply security, Loopworm highlighted that silkworms feed exclusively on mulberry leaves, rather than mixed waste streams like other insects. This helps ensure consistent nutritional quality.
The company sources silkworms from India, which accounts for around 15% of global supply, as a factor supporting a stable and scalable raw material base.
Looking ahead, the company identified salmon feed, shrimp feed and pet food as its strongest near‑term growth opportunities.
In aquaculture, silkworm ingredients are well aligned with the nutritional needs of salmon and shrimp, with amino acid profiles, fatty acid composition and bioactive compounds that closely match species requirements.
Gawri also highlighted backyard poultry, particularly in Western markets, as an emerging opportunity, noting that silkworm‑based feed ingredients are largely absent from the segment despite growing interest from smallholder and hobby farmers in alternative protein sources.