{"id":51385,"date":"2025-06-23T22:43:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T20:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?p=51385"},"modified":"2025-09-09T15:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T13:25:39","slug":"the-feed-of-the-future-can-be-grown-in-containers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/news\/the-feed-of-the-future-can-be-grown-in-containers","title":{"rendered":"The Feed of the Future can be Grown in Containers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Per\n

Per Hult practices regenerative farming in Klippan, Sk\u00e5ne. He sees major societal benefits in using soy-free feed based on food production by-products.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Is farm-based cultivation of insect protein for animal feed the future? Axfoundation visited several partners in the Feed of the<\/em> Future for Fish, Pigs, Poultry, and Laying Hens<\/em> project who are raising insects locally\u2014in containers. We also met with the entrepreneur whose vision is decentralized farming and production of insect meal across the country. Our journey took us from Boden in the north to Klippan in southern Sk\u00e5ne.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Vattenfall\u2019s<\/a> fish farming facility in Heden, near Boden, hundreds of thousands of salmon and trout are bred annually and released into the Lule River to compensate for the impact of hydropower on natural fish habitats. Henri Heimonen, the facility manager, carefully moves between the tanks to avoid stressing the fish. He introduces a handful of larvae (from the American black soldier fly) into the tanks. Some fish snap at the surface, but most hesitate\u2014they’re not accustomed to live insects.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Henri\n

Henri Heimonen is in charge of Vattenfall\u2019s fish farm in Heden. He finds it absurd to feed fish with fish just to produce fish\u2014and sees great potential in the project.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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– We\u2019re just doing a small pilot for now\u2014the real test starts after the summer. That\u2019s when we\u2019ll look at how the fish take to the larvae, since they\u2019re used to pellets. But I\u2019m hopeful. What the world\u2019s doing today is just not sustainable. I mean, it\u2019s plain crazy to feed fish with fish just to get fish, says Henri Heimonen in his steady northern Swedish accent.<\/p>\n

Henri is deeply committed to his work and spends considerable time in nature. While he’s concerned about the overfished Baltic Sea, he\u2019s optimistic about new solutions like this circular and resource-efficient feed, where food waste transforms into high-quality protein. The insects are produced just a few kilometers away.<\/p>\n

– Supporting local production is crucial – this is where we live. Currently, in the fish feed industry, we don’t have a supplier in Sweden. We need to reduce our dependence on imports and do things sustainably, Henri adds, tossing another handful of larvae.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Supporting local production is crucial – this is where we live. Currently, in the fish feed industry, we don’t have a supplier in Sweden. We need to reduce our dependence on imports and do things sustainably.<\/p>\n

– Henri Heimonen, the facility manager at fish farming facility in Heden, Boden.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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What Our Animals Eat Matters<\/h4>\n

Animal feed affects climate, the environment, resource use, and Sweden\u2019s self-sufficiency. The Feed of the Future<\/em> project<\/a> shows that it is possible to produce animal feed without relying on imported soy and fishmeal. Instead, it can be made from ingredients that contribute to a sustainable food system: mussels, mycoprotein (fungal protein), and insects\u2014specifically the black soldier fly larvae.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Conventional\n

Conventional fish food vs. live larvae. After summer, fish acceptance will be tested. Nutrient absorption and sensory qualities\u2014how the fish tastes\u2014will also be analyzed.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Christian Sj\u00f6land and Madeleine Linins M\u00f6rner at Axfoundation are leading the project. They are committed to exploring different models for future insect farming.<\/p>\n