Manure to insect farming for feed mitigates nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions.

Manure-to-insect farming could reduce nitrogen emissions by 6.0 million tonnes and greenhouse gases by 1,277 million tonnes CO2-e, while freeing 45 million hectares of cropland globally.

• Why it matters: Addressing environmental impacts of livestock systems is critical as they contribute significantly to nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, threatening climate stability and soil health.
• What they did: The study integrated global livestock, trade, land-use, and economic models to evaluate the environmental and financial impacts of converting manure into insect protein across 166 countries, aiming to replace crop-based feed.
• The result: This approach could produce 4.2 million tonnes of insect protein, reduce emissions substantially, and generate economic benefits of 226 billion USD, demonstrating a cost-effective circular solution for sustainable food systems.