Climate-Resilient Bioconversion Through Insects: Turning Waste into Wealth
摘要
As climate change intensifies, global challenges concerning waste management, innovation, and resilience in solutions are indispensable for sustainability. This chapter presents the emerging potential of insect-based bioconversion as a climate-resilient strategy for waste valorization. Especially, viz. black soldier flies (BSFs), yellow mealworms, and houseflies are known for their ability to productively convert organic waste into wealthy bio-products. The various waste streams processed by our insect-based bioconversion systems include agricultural residues, food waste, and organic by-products. High-value outputs produced in the process include high-protein animal feed, biofuels, and soil-enhancing fertilizers. Economic analysis would show about 30–45% potential returns within the first two years of operations, with a considerable carbon footprint reduction compared to conventional methods of waste management. A few other circular economy benefits would be derived from the study, including relieving landfills of pressure, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and providing sustainable sources for protein in animal feed. This chapter demonstrates that insect-based bioconversion offers a promising, climate-resilient solution to waste management challenges while generating valuable products for agriculture and industry. Our chapter underlines the necessity for supportive policy frameworks and scaled implementation to fully realize the potential of this innovative approach in sustainable waste management.