But where do the invertibrates get THEIR food from? Feed corn is super cheap per calorie (people sometimes burn feedcorn in stoves for heat), so it’s probably what you’d feed the invertebrates.
I can't deny that feed corn has good shelf life (they store it outside under a tarp when the silos are full). But there are other food streams that don't necessarily pass inspection, especially for perishable foods.
I know from a couple days at a food bank that cows can eat pretty bad apples, but there are badness levels that would be much safer for grubs or larvae to eat.
Feed corn takes a lot of water though, and I don't know how much longer we'll have that.
> Yup, insect farms typically use grains as the feed. Grains which you could eat directly (after baking or cooking, of course) which would be more calorically efficient.
Black soldier fly larvae can be fed almost any organic matter, including waste. The use of grain as feed for insect farms (which can largely be attributed to grain subsidies) doesn't imply it's the end-all energy input.
