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At the heart of a pioneering initiative are automated, modular farms employing black soldier fly larvae, more commonly known as maggots, to transform food waste into valuable animal feed and fertilizer.
Olympia Yarger, who transitioned from sheep farming to entrepreneurship, has established a business aimed at diverting food waste from landfills. Her efforts focus on sustainable solutions to reduce environmental impact.
Yarger acknowledges that the idea of using maggots might make some people uneasy. However, the environmental benefits speak for themselves.
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, food waste is responsible for roughly 3% of Australia’s yearly emissions. This significant statistic underscores the urgent need for effective waste management solutions.
Australia faces an enormous challenge with over 7.6 million tonnes of food waste produced annually, which incurs a staggering economic cost of more than $36.6 billion each year.
Australia is facing ‘a landfill crisis’
“Between one quarter and one third of all the waste generated is food waste. We need to keep this out of landfills.”
The clever system allows her business, Goterra, to address the food-waste problem while also turning a profit.
Halving food waste by 2030 is expected to deliver a net economic benefit of $58 billion, according to government projections. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon
Larvae are placed into crates at five days old and, over 12 days, produce nutrient-rich fertiliser for farms. Before the larvae mature into flies, they are converted into poultry feed.
“The feed is also full of amino acids which are essential for chickens to produce eggs.”
The ‘biggest’ problem is contamination
“This is what businesses must do when mandates come in next year because it is so important to keep the stream of organic material clean for products like compost.”
Fertiliser produced by fly larvae can be used on farms and gardens. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon
Yarger is now preparing for major national expansion. From one small bucket in her garage in 2016, her business has grown to seven sites across four states.
