Researchers at Harper Adams University are working to develop a modular insect farm alongside agri-tech company Flybox and a Buckinghamshire egg farm.
The £1 million collaboration has been co-funded with £762,194 coming from Innovate UK and DEFRA through the Farming Futures Research and Development (R&D) Fund.
The partners will create and assess the 360 Farm aiming to tackle climate change, land overuse and food waste by using insects as a sustainable source of protein on commercial farms.
A number of Harper Adams academics across the University’s Agriculture and Environment, Engineering and Food, Land and Agribusiness Management departments will be working on the project.
Principal Investigator Dr Jane Eastham said: “This is a hugely exciting project, building upon the success of our commercial partner in Africa while drawing upon the multi-disciplinary expertise of academics at Harper Adams.
“As the project progresses, we expect that it will not only provide valuable insights commercially, but will also widen our knowledge of alternative protein sources, their development and application.”