Goterra’s innovative solution to food waste
Canberra-based company, Goterra, use black soldier fly larvae to consume and process high quantities of food waste at a faster rate than composting to produce high quality soil fertiliser. The larvae can be processed and used as protein-rich animal feed.
Goterra manages many ACT businesses organic waste, diverting over six tonnes of organic waste from landfill each week.
The challenge
Wasting food has a huge effect on climate change. Producing the food that gets wasted takes valuable resources. Land, water, transport, refrigeration and packaging all contribute to the climate cost of food.
“When food waste is sent to landfill it produces methane. Methane is more potent than carbon dioxide in global warming,” said Michael Brewer, Chief of Staff at Goterra.
“Sending food waste to landfill is also depleting our agricultural land, as these nutrients should be replaced back into the soil. These depleted soils are making our farms less productive.
“We are a start-up based in Hume, and we have developed a local solution to capture these nutrients and generate fertiliser.
The action
“We are building a circular economy to revolutionise the food waste crisis. We collect food waste from a wide range of businesses. This food waste is fed to black soldier flies who convert it into high-value, low-impact protein in 12 days.
“Afterwards, the high-value insect protein is used as animal and aquaculture feed. The frass, a nutrient-rich by-product, is also collected and sold as agricultural fertiliser.
“We farm the black soldier fly larvae by allowing some insects to mature into adults. The adults lay eggs which become the larvae that eat the food waste. This process allows us to undertake circular farming.
The benefit
“Goterra started operations in Fyshwick, but we relocated to Hume as the business grew. The expansion to a 12,000 square metre facility means that up to 45,000 tons of waste can be transformed into saleable products each year.
“Our circular production system converts food waste into a valuable resource. Our insect farming is adding value to the food chain, producing fertilisers for farms, and products for Australian manufacturing. We are helping to combat climate change and food insecurity.
The Circular Economy
Goterra is an example of the circular economy in action. A circular economy ensures that materials and resources are captured and recirculated, adding value to products that were previously considered waste. This process generates economic opportunities, creating local jobs while designing out waste.
Goterra’s exponential growth is an example of how a circular economy business can innovate to create economic growth and jobs. Over the past five years, Goterra has grown to a team of over 50, and expect to triple in size over the next 18 months. These include machinists, electricians, chemists and robotics engineers and entomologists.
Learn more about the draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy.
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.