Lord of the flies

Instead of reaching for the insecticide or insect repellent, a group, consisting of seven- to eleven-year-olds, were exposed to an insect revolution at ARC Ento Tech Ltd at Somersby, NSW. The event was organised by the Horticultural Media Association of Australia. Being school holidays in NSW they kindly gave permission for some of my grandchildren to accompany me.

This company has developed a process to recover, reform and repurpose mixed solid waste into environmentally friendly and commercially viable products, essentially closing the circle and almost eliminating landfill.

It’s been a long time since I was at school, and I was impressed by the depth of knowledge and understanding displayed by the children about contemporary issues surrounding waste and waste disposal. Even the seven-year-old has had school- based discussions about green infrastructure, sustainability and the environment.

The heart of the ARC Technology process is the Black Soldier Fly digester. Seeing how the flies, or the larvae of the flies, ‘process’ the food waste really underscored the importance of insects in the environment for this young group.

The Black Soldier Fly larvae are voracious and will process (eat) any food waste and turn it into nitrogen-rich frass. Any indigestible organics such as paper or wood, for example, and any plastics are recovered and reduced forming a low-cost alternative to high grade coal or metallurgical coke. The larvae also have a use as food for birds, lizards and other livestock. The larvae, when dried, contain up to 50% high quality protein and could form part of a human diet. Singapore has approved at least 16 species of insects as safe for human consumption. Many indigenous societies across the world incorporate insects into their diet. Indigenous Australians made the Witchetty Grub famous as a staple of bush tucker.

Young minds open to the idea that change is normal, more easily accept that food grown with the help of insects is more beneficial than continued use of artificial fertiliser made from non-renewable resources such as natural gas. When asked what insects help grow plants or crops, my grandchildren would say bees. Now they realise that flies are a major part of the growing cycle. There are possibly up to 30,000 species of flies in Australia and only about 7,500 species have been described. The recent arrival of Varroa mite in Australia has provided an incentive to search for other pollinators and flies could provide a year-round alternative.

One concern of growers of fruit and vegetables is possible resistance by consumers to any foodstuff grown with the aid of flies. My grandchildren had no second thoughts tasting fruit grown using Black Soldier Fly larvae frass as part of the growing medium. ARC Ento Tech run workshops for schools which I believe is the way to educate future generations about the benefits of insects in food production, and to alleviate the enormous amount of waste that is generated in this country. Younger generations are concerned about the environment and the role we can all play in creating a sustainable future.

Food for thought!

Enjoy the read.

Karen Smith and your Hort Journal team