CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — In collaboration with InnovaFeed, Archer Daniels Midland Co. has unveiled plans to build a new insect protein facility in Decatur, Illinois, US.

The new facility will produce insect feed as a protein ingredient in animal feed.

It will be owned and operated by InnovaFeed and will co-locate with ADM’s Decatur, Illinois, US, corn processing complex.

“At a time when the demand for animal feed protein is steadily increasing, insect farming stands out as a true solution for the future,” said Chris Cuddy, senior vice president and president of ADM’s Carbohydrate Solutions business. “We’re excited to work with InnovaFeed on this ambitious project, which further expands our participation in the growing market for animal food and feed that comes from responsible, sustainable sources.

“It’s a great demonstration of how ADM is expanding its value chain by offering opportunities for collaboration to leading, innovative startups. It is yet another example of how we’re constantly identifying new ways to create value from corn, oilseeds and more. And of course, we’re extremely proud that we can help bring this new, job-creating project to Decatur, the home of our North American headquarters.”

Construction is targeted to begin in 2021, pending necessary permitting and approvals. Once completed, the plant will have a target annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes of animal feed protein derived from Hermetia Illucens. The plant will also have the capability to produce 20,000 tonnes annually of oils for poultry and swine rations, and 400,000 tonnes of fertilizer.

InnovaFeed already operates two insect production facilities in France. The Decatur facility represents InnovaFeed’s first international project.

“We are very pleased to launch this ambitious project, working alongside ADM and Illinois state partners as InnovaFeed expands to provide sustainable solutions to meet the fast growing demand for insect feed in the US and worldwide,” said Clement Ray, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of InnovaFeed. “Around the world, InnovaFeed is contributing to the emergence of sustainable food systems by developing a pioneering and sustainable industry. Our new operations in Illinois, a global leader and destination for agriculture, will allow us to take the next steps to innovate and grow our business.”

The plant will be built using a model of industrial collaboration enabling InnovaFeed to produce the insect protein with the lowest carbon footprint on the market. The plant will be co-located with ADM’s Decatur corn complex, with complementary infrastructure that will allow ADM to directly provide corn by-products to supply InnovaFeed’s insect rearing process, as well as waste heat and steam. This operational model will allow the InnovaFeed facility to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% versus standalone production.

Construction of the new facility is expected to create more than 280 direct and 400 indirect jobs in the Decatur, Illinois, US region by the second phase.

“InnovaFeed’s decision to bring their first ever international facility and state-of-the-art agriculture technology to Illinois is a vote of confidence for our state, and a win for our farming communities,” said JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois. “Illinois has always been a global leader in agriculture and technology, and we offer the resources to support this major international expansion – with an educated workforce, proximity to global businesses like ADM, and access to shipping and logistics. The investments InnovaFeed is making in Decatur will not only support our thriving agriculture industry – a cornerstone of our economy – but will unlock new well-paying jobs for our communities.”

InnovaFeed is a French biotech company that produces a new source of protein from insect rearing for animal and plant nutrition. The company’s goal is to help facilitate the rise of sustainable food systems by addressing the increasing demand for natural, healthy and competitive raw materials. Combining the largest production capacity on the market and state of the art research in biotechnology, InnovaFeed has developed a technology and process enabling the production of high-quality insect ingredients at industrial.