Entobel, a Singapore-based insect protein producer with operations in Vietnam, has signed a strategic partnership with Vietnamese pangasius producer and processor Vinh Hoan which entails the latter company buying a substantial volume of insect protein for use in aquafeed through its subsidiary Feed One.
Through the strategic partnership, Vinh Hoan will purchase at least 15,000 metric tons (MT) of insect protein – derived from black soldier fly larvae – from Entobel between 2025 and 2027.
Vinh Hoan said its sourcing of Entobel ingredients accomplishes two goals: It promotes sustainability – as studies show insect-derived protein production often has a lower carbon footprint compared to other protein production processes – and it ensures feed production does not compete with Southeast Asia’s food security, contributing to a more responsible aquaculture industry.
“Vinh Hoan recognizes that a crucial element in feeding the world’s growing population while protecting the ocean’s ecosystem and biodiversity is to ensure that aquaculture feed ingredients come from sustainable sources,” Vinh Hoan CEO Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam said.
Entobel Co-Founder and Co-CEO Gaëtan Crielaard said the company’s expanded partnership with Vinh Hoan is a “decisive boost of confidence” in Entobel’s ability to produce insect protein at scale and at cost levels that are competitive to fishmeal.
It also allows Entobel to effectively use its insect protein production plant in the southern Vietnamese city of Vung Tau, which has an annual production capacity of 10,000 MT and which the company says is the largest insect protein production plant in Asia.
Crielaard told SeafoodSource in September 2023 that high fishmeal prices and industry concerns surrounding El Niño, biodiversity loss, and general supply scarcity around traditional fish feed were buoying demand for insect-derived protein for use in aquafeed – a trend that has continued to gain steam through his company’s strategic partnership with Vinh Hoan.
Entobel said that now that it has demonstrated strong commercial traction for its products, it plans to build new facilities in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
