Black soldier flies help in sustainable growth in south Yunnan

In late September, network reporters in visited the Yunann Mountain Futures Research Centre in south Yunnan’s Honghe County, looking into black soldier flies’ role in innovative ecology and agriculture. 

To better reduce poverty and serve the daily life of locals, scientists here uses the worms to treat kitchen waste, as well as feed fish and chicks. At the worm-breeding base of the center, black soldier flies are proved to be able to turn wastes into treasures, contributing to environmental protection.

“Many think the kitchen waste should be used to feed pigs but this is actually harmful,” said Zhong Jian, associate researcher at the center, adding the leftovers may house germs and swine flu is more likely to occur when pork is consumed by a hog.

Traditionally, landfill and burning are common ways for waste disposal. These, however, would inevitably lead to land and water pollutions, especially in filling kitchen trash and animal wastes. By using the black soldier flies, which is readily to swallow the wastes as delicacies, Zhong and his fellow scientist find a way to sustain local economy. 

“In consuming one tonnage of chicken waste, the flies can add a net flesh weight of 100 kilograms on themselves, while turning the stinky chick waste into less smelly fertilizer,” said Zhong, explaining that fish and ducks can feed well on black soldier flies, which are rich in protein. 

The center is constructing a 1400-square-meter plant for recyclable production. In the future, the black soldier flies of the center can consume 10 tons of kitchen waste from the Honghe county seat per day, with a prospecting daily capacity of 100 tons of waste from the provincial capital of Kunming. 

To find a sustainable path for local economy, the scientists have taken the center their shared home. As a native from Yunnan’s neighboring province of Sichuan, Zhong has spent most of his time at the center over the past years, while his colleague Luo Wenze has dipped into the mountainous area for five years.

As general manager of the Mountain Futures company, Luo is capable of management in worldly affairs and logistic services at the center and its breeding area for black soldier flies. “Now, we are focusing on pilot breeding, exploring large-scale farming and treatment of kitchen waste by black soldier flies.” 

By popularizing recyclable agriculture and technological innovation, Zhong and his team have taken the road of environmental protection and sustainable development. 

Reporting by Li Zha; trans-editing by Wang Shixue