Insect protein: Innovafeed and Protix join forces on carbon data

Innovafeed and Protix, two competing producers of black soldier fly (BSF) ingredients, have published a joint position paper arguing that the carbon footprint of insect protein has so far been overstated. According to the authors, many existing life cycle assessments (LCAs) are based on laboratory and pilot-scale data, where energy use, feedstock logistics and fixed costs inflate emissions per kilogram of output. Citing a 2026 review, the paper states that published BSF assessments report values ranging from roughly 0.5 to 77 kg CO₂e per kilogram of protein.

At industrial scale, the authors say, some BSF protein systems have already reached levels competitive with conventional protein sources. Innovafeed reports that the carbon intensity of its protein has fallen fivefold since 2022, to 1.2 kg CO₂ per kilogram of protein in 2025, and is targeting around 0.6 kg by 2030. The company…