BLACK SOLDIER FLY LARVAE FOR ORGANIC WASTE TREATMENT - PROSPECTS AND CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

Larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), may be used in low and middle-income countries to transform organic waste into valuable animal feedstuff: in the form of their last larval stage, the so-called prepupa. Revenues from sales of this potential animal feed can cover parts of the waste collection costs. Our research studies the prospects of this emerging technology, evaluates its constraints and responds to open research questions by means of lab scale experiments in Switzerland and Thailand and by conducting pilot field trials in Costa Rica. We conclude that the use of black soldier fly larvae has a great potential in organic waste management, be it the treatment of market waste, municipal organic waste or dewatered faecal sludge. Certain limitations exist, especially regarding the presence of heavy metals in the feed material, which negatively influence life history traits of the fly population and can accumulate in the prepupae.