Integrating edible insect into circular agriculture for sustainable production

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture faces the challenge of balancing environmental stewardship, food security, and the needs of a growing global population. This study examines how integrating edible insect farming into a circular agriculture can enhance traditional cropping and livestock practices, thus improving environmental sustainability, food security, and economic growth. Using system Causal Loop Diagram (CLD), the study constructed, with multi-stakeholder engagements support, a detailed system map of sustainable agriculture incorporating insect, crop, and livestock farming. The network analysis of the CLD used a directed adjacency matrix of 39 variables and 101 edges of the system to reveal key determinants that are central to the system's efficiency, robustness, and overall dynamics through various centrality measures. Through stocks and flows model simulations, four scenarios of the system, focusing on black soldier fly (BSF) and cricket farming with maize and poultry operations were evaluated. The BSF and crickets are evaluated for their dual role in waste reduction and nutrient cycling, which are pivotal in promoting agricultural sustainability and resilience. The system's feedback loops revealed intricate interactions between insect, crop, and livestock farming, with loops B1-B18 and R1-R17 showing sustainable cycles. Network analysis revealed rapid information spread with an average path length of 3.89, low edge density of 6.82 %, and highlighted insect rearing, employment, labour, and farmer population as pivotal determinants influencing the system's dynamics and efficiency. The stocks and flows model simulations showed significant synergies between insect farming and traditional agriculture. Key findings revealed that the integration of BSF and cricket farming into maize and poultry systems led to 30 % increase in maize production, 20 % increase in poultry weight with 6000 kg of dried BSF larvae and 4000 kg of crickets produced over 5 years. The annual profits increased to $1400 from BSF farming and over $1000 from cricket farming. The study highlights the critical role of systemic interactions and feedback loops in optimizing agricultural outputs and sustainability goals to significantly boost productivity and economic viability in sustainable agriculture. It catalyses a paradigm shift towards innovative, resilient, and circular agricultural practices globally. The study advocates for the adoption of edible insect farming as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture within a circular agriculture, highlighting its potential to significantly improve food security, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. Recommendations include promoting insect farming, supporting smallholder farmers, investing in research and development, enhancing market access, and incorporating circular economy principles into agricultural policies.