The Carbon Footprint and Ecosystem Services of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal as an Alternative Protein Source for Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a food production system that combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (growing plants in water) in a symbiotic relationship. One of the challenges of aquaponics is finding a sustainable and cost-effective protein source for the fish feed. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are an emerging alternative protein source that can be produced from organic waste and have a high nutritional value. In this study, we compared the carbon footprint and ecosystem services of BSFL meal with other commonly used protein sources, such as fish meal, soybean meal, and corn gluten meal, for aquaponics. We used a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the ecosystem services associated with the production of each protein source. The ecosystem services considered were waste reduction, nutrient recycling, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. The results showed that BSFL meal had the lowest carbon footprint of 0.5 kg CO₂e/kg, while fish meal had the highest carbon footprint of 3.7 kg CO₂e/kg, followed by soybean meal (1.0 kg CO₂e/kg) and corn gluten meal (1.1 kg CO₂e/kg). The results also showed that BSFL meal provided the highest ecosystem services of waste reduction (2.5 kg/kg), nutrient recycling (0.15 kg/kg), biodiversity conservation (0.01 ha/kg), and climate change mitigation (-0.45 kg CO₂e/kg), while fish meal provided the lowest ecosystem services of waste reduction (0 kg/kg), nutrient recycling (0 kg/kg), biodiversity conservation (-0.02 ha/kg), and climate change mitigation (3.7 kg CO₂e/kg). Based on these findings, we conclude that BSFL meal is a promising alternative protein source for aquaponics that can reduce the environmental impact and enhance the ecosystem services of food production. We also suggest that BSFL production can be integrated with aquaponics in a synergistic way, creating a circular economy system that maximizes resource efficiency and value creation.