We inform about the challenges of insect farming in France
National Observatory on Insect Farming
ONEI (Observatoire national de l'élevage d'insectes, in French) provides stakeholders in this emerging industry with evidence-based data. Learn more about insect farming here.
Learn about the challenges of insect farming
Often touted as a sustainable alternative, the insect farming industry is growing, attracting billions of euros in investment from both the private sector and governments.
However, recent studies are questioning the sector's ecological and economic benefits. Explore our summary of the challenges here and in our opinion piece published in the top economic newspaper Les Echos.
Our organization
We are the first independent organization in France dedicated to providing information on this growing industry.
Based on scientific data, we provide access to the most relevant resources on insect farming.
News outlets referencing our work
Latest news
📄New ONEI study questions the scientific basis of insect farming promises
A new study published in npj Sustainable Agriculture (a Nature group publication) reveals that the economic and environmental promises touted in the insect farming literature are often based on unrealistic assumptions.
📉 Ynsect in receivership
The industry leader, Ynsect, once considered a unicorn, officially announced that it was placed in receivership on March 4. Despite the 600 million euros invested, the company no longer has enough cash to continue. We provided an analysis of the situation in France 3 Hauts-de-France.
📢 Ynsect and Agronutris in difficulty - Major crisis for the sector's heavyweights
Two of the three pioneers of the industry are in difficulty. Ynsect is seeking a buyer or investors, facing the prospect of judicial liquidation by March, while Agronutris has placed its holding company in safeguard proceedings as of January 23.
📨 Launch of our first newsletter
The first edition of our newsletter, published on December 20, 2024, presents a review of the past year as well as a summary of our findings and actions. Subscribe using the form at the bottom of this page to stay informed.
📢 Publication of an opinion piece in Les Echos
On November 6th, we had the honor of publishing an opinion piece in the Cercle des Echos, featuring an analysis of the risks associated with public investments in the insect sector, given the economic and environmental challenges facing this industry.
📰 ONEI in Le Parisien newspaper
We were interviewed for an article in Le Parisien, published on October 29th, which explains why the market for insects as human food remains marginal, far from its initial ambitions.
📰 ONEI quoted in Les Echos
We had the honor of sharing our expertise with the newspaper Les Echos, a leading source of economic news, in an article published on October 16th regarding the financial viability of Ynsect and the industry.
🎥 ONEI in numerous media outlets
Following the difficulties of Agronutris and Ynsect, we intervened in numerous media to analyze the situation: BFM Business (1:23), Reporterre, La Tribune, RTL, France Inter (0:15)…
✍ Publication of two studies in scientific journals
Two studies that we co-authored have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals, focusing on the sector's challenges in utilising waste and achieving economic viability.