Innovafeed receives $11M USDA grant to enhance organic fertilizer production in the U.S.

Innovafeed announces it has received an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand its production of high-quality insect-based ingredients for animal and plant nutrition within the United States. This initiative aims to increase domestic organic fertilizer production and underscores Innovafeed’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices, economic development in rural areas, and providing American farmers with more options.

Originating in France, Innovafeed has become a noticeable leader in the global insect production industry. The company will use the grant to replicate its successful production model in Decatur, Illinois. U.S. project focuses on producing insect frass, a high-quality organic fertilizer derived from the excrement of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). This novel fertilizer activates soil microbial activity, providing a sustainable solution for enhancing soil health and regeneration.

The global fertilizer market has experienced dramatic price increases for almost all types of fertilizer products, driven by multiple factors, including the conflict in Ukraine, scarcity of key minerals, soaring energy costs, increased global demand, and agricultural commodity prices. The U.S. dependency on imported fertilizers, combined with limited competition, has contributed to this volatility. In response, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has allocated $500 million to the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), designed to encourage domestic innovation in fertilizer production, stimulate job creation in rural areas, and diversify options available to American farmers.

Over 350 businesses responded to the USDA’s call for projects under the FPEP, leading to the selection of 21 projects in its first round in January. In July, 66 additional projects deemed eligible for funding were selected to enhance fertilizer production capacities.

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Maye Walraven, General Manager of Innovafeed North America, noted the importance of USDA support, “This USDA grant recognizes our potential to strengthen the U.S. supply of organic fertilizers and offer solutions that enhance soil regeneration and carbon sequestration, thus promoting regenerative agricultural practices domestically.”

Founded in 2016, Innovafeed is a certified AgTech leader specializing in the production of Black Soldier Fly derivatives for animal and plant nutrition. The company aims to revolutionize the global food system by developing technologies that emulate natural processes on an industrial scale, fostering a circular, waste-free food chain that enhances sustainability and resilience.