Innovafeed Expands to U.S.; French Agtech Firm Opens Insect Innovation Center in Decatur, Ill.

DECATUR, Ill. , April 18 /Businesswire/ - Innovafeed, a global leader in the production of insect ingredients for high-quality animal feed, pet food and plant nutrition, inaugurated its North American Insect Innovation Center (NAIIC) in Decatur, Illinois on the 18th of April. This pilot plant is the first step of the rising French agtech’s industrial expansion to North America and aims to scale up production and commercialization of insect protein in the USA.

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Opening new horizons: Governor JB Pritzker joined local and international leaders to celebrate the inauguration of Innovafeed's first North American facility in Decatur, Illinois. Pictured left to right: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards, Decatur Economic Development Corporation President Nicole Bateman, Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce President Mirinda Rothrock, State of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Innovafeed CEO Clément Ray, ADM SVP and President of Carbohydrate Solutions Chris Cuddy, Consulate General of France Clément Calais, ADM Animal Nutrition North America President Simon Walley, Innovafeed U.S. General Manager Maye Walraven. (Photo: Business Wire)

Innovafeed breeds Hermetia illucens, also known as black soldier flies, in state-of-the-art indoor farms, while efficiently repurposing agricultural by-products from its strategic partner, ADM, in a pioneering zero-waste framework. This innovative process yields insect meal, oil, and soil amendment, which Innovafeed markets under the brand Hilucia™.

The inauguration of NAIIC will be a milestone in Innovafeed’s expansion in North America. The choice of Decatur, Illinois, is not coincidental: located in the heart of the corn belt adjacent to ADM’s North American headquarters and the world’s largest corn mill operations, with hundreds of processing plants across multiple States, the region offers high potential for multiple sites to be deployed in the future. The broader area is also a historical innovation hub for the agro-industry, making it a strategic location for Innovafeed to serve its core markets. Since 2023, the company in partnership with ADM, already has commercialized Hilucia™ insect ingredients for the pet food market in North America. As part of this effort, ADM has invested in a comprehensive R&D study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with results to be released later this year demonstrating the nutritional and health benefits of its ingredients. Future opportunities with other types of animal feed are also being explored as part of the comprehensive partnership between the two companies.

“We are thrilled to partner with Innovafeed on this exciting project that highlights our commitment to responsible and sustainable sourcing. Our collaboration is a great example of how we are constantly seeking innovative solutions to meet the growing demand for alternative protein sources in animal and pet products. By expanding our value chain and offering collaboration opportunities to leading, innovative partners, we are positioning ADM as the provider of choice for responsible, sustainable materials across the food, beverage, feed, fuel, consumer product and industrial spaces. We are proud to be a part of this job-creating project and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our communities,” says ADM Senior Vice President and President of ADM’s Carbohydrate Solutions business, Chris Cuddy.

A pipeline will connect the plant to the ADM’s corn processing wet mill, allowing it to directly recover up to 300,000 tons per year of by-products. These by-products will be transformed into high-quality insect ingredients producing up to 60,000 metric tons of animal feed protein derived from Hermetia Illucens. Additionally, it will generate 20,000 metric tons of oils for poultry and swine rations each year, along with 400,000 metric tons of soil amendment. In Decatur, the planned large-scale manufacturing facility will replicate an industrial symbiosis model pioneered by Innovafeed in France. A comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is still to be conducted at the NAIIC.

“We chose Decatur for our first U.S. operation because of its location in the heart of the Midwest corn belt and its proximity to our partner ADM and other agribusiness leaders. ADM’s corn by-products are a rich resource that we will leverage to fuel our black soldier fly production. At the same time, this circular process will present a tangible solution to contribute to our Mission and the US Department of Energy’s objectives of decarbonizing the industrial sector,” says Clément Ray, CEO of Innovafeed.

Innovafeed is delighted to welcome the presence of Governor JB Pritzker at our inauguration, which underscores Illinois's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and its pivotal role in driving both local and global economic impact within the United States.

“Innovative, exciting new approaches to agricultural and environmental challenges are what Illinois is all about, from the invention of the farm silo to global leaders like Innovafeed,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This expansion, perfectly situated in Illinois’s rich corn country, demonstrates a commitment to Illinois as a place to grow and continue to innovate, and I’m glad to welcome Innovafeed to Illinois.”

Finally, the plant is proudly part of a local ecosystem of industrial projects in Decatur that are poised to create future-focused jobs and help solidify the region as a catalyst for local economic growth and innovation.

"As the project expands, we believe Innovafeed can benefit from a strongly qualified local workforce, as well as contribute to developing new skills specific to our innovative industry. Furthermore, we envision Decatur as a promising hub for innovation with many opportunities for collaboration between Innovafeed and the neighboring projects that have recently been announced in the area,” says Maye Walraven, US General Manager for Innovafeed.

Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe added, “The inauguration of Innovafeed’s first U.S. location is another huge win for Decatur and is a prime example of what innovation and growth looks like in central Illinois. The northeast quadrant of Decatur will look very different in the coming years, and we are excited to see the future of Innovafeed and other synergistic partners in the area.”

Founded in 2016, Innovafeed currently operates two industrial plants in northern France, producing insect protein for animal and pet nutrition. To date, Innovafeed has secured more than $1 billion in commercial contracts for its fly protein products for the aquaculture, pet food and poultry feed markets and has introduced insect ingredients as a viable, affordable, and sustainable source of animal and pet food, which is now recognized and embraced by both agribusiness leaders and environmental stewards alike. By integrating sustainable and innovative solutions, Innovafeed aims to play a pivotal role in mitigating the environmental impact of the animal and pet agribusiness sector.

Innovafeed is also proud to announce that it is now a Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) accredited company in the pet segment, effective from February 2024. Additionally, the company has been honored with the Most Innovative Company 2024 award by the prestigious Fast Company Prize. These milestones once again underscore Innovafeed's international expansion and its commitment to sustainability and innovation.

ABOUT INNOVAFEED

Innovafeed is a global agtech company and a leader in insect production (Hermetia illucens - Black Soldier Fly) for animal and plant nutrition, created in 2016 by three co-founders: Aude Guo, Bastien Oggeri, and Clément Ray, all driven by the ambition to find innovative and disruptive solutions to the challenges faced by the global food system. It develops disruptive technologies that replicate natural processes on an industrial scale. By building a circular, waste-free food chain that replicates the natural role of the insect, Innovafeed reinvents our way of life with increased quality, sustainability, and resilience for all. Its wide range of products includes Hilucia™ Protein for aquaculture; Hilucia™ Oil for monogastrics; and Hilucia™ Frass for plants, a 100% natural fertilizer made from insect excrement. Innovafeed also offers Hilucia™ Protein and Oil for pet food. Innovafeed has over 350 pragmatic dreamers for whom performance and positive impact must go hand in hand to shape the world we will leave to future generations. To find out more: https://innovafeed.com/en

ABOUT ADM

ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re a premier global human and animal nutrition company, delivering solutions today with an eye to the future. We’re blazing new trails in health and well-being as our scientists develop groundbreaking products to support healthier living. We’re a cutting-edge innovator leading the way to a new future of plant-based consumer and industrial solutions to replace petroleum-based products. We’re an unmatched agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. And we’re a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize our industry and safeguard our planet. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional and sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.adm.com

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