Scientists are increasingly raising alarms about the urgent need to transform current food systems in a way that significantly reduces their degrading impact on nature and the climate. One response to this issue is the European SUSTAvianFEED program, which provides small-scale poultry farmers with innovative methods and tools necessary to run high-quality farms that can be environmentally friendly, rely on local resources, and support local communities.
Industrial food systems are responsible for approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, harming air, soil, and water quality while degrading biodiversity. Even at the stage of feed production and processing, the livestock industry generates as much as 14.5% of the total carbon emissions caused by human activity. The European Union’s strong dependence on imported feed raw materials, particularly soybeans, which account for 45% of the EU’s demand, further exacerbates the negative impact on the climate and the self-sufficiency of local farming communities.
A New Era in Poultry Farming
European poultry farmers have been facing numerous challenges for years, from rising feed costs to increasing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of food production. The dependence of conventional farming methods on soybean imports carries significant environmental costs—such as groundwater pollution and deforestation in the Amazon—as well as contributes to the loss of livelihoods for local populations. In response to these challenges, scientists are exploring alternative poultry farming methods that should not only improve meat quality but also support local communities and help mitigate adverse climate changes.
The SUSTAvianFEED Project and Innovations for Small-Scale Farmers
One of the most promising research projects for the poultry industry is the European SUSTAvianFEED program, which has developed innovative poultry feeding methods, eliminating the need for imported soy in favor of local and sustainable protein sources. 
Within this program, alternative feeds have been tested, including agricultural and food industry by-products such as sunflower meal, brewer’s spent grains, and live or dried insect larvae. SUSTAvianFEED is part of the European Union-supported Prima program for research and innovation in food systems in Mediterranean countries. This initiative aims to support sustainable food chains, strengthen local entrepreneurship, and reduce social disparities.
Sustainable animal feed formulas, containing insects and by-products of regional agricultural and food production, underwent five pilot tests involving more than 250 producers from Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Tunisia. The results of these tests and studies indicate that poultry fed with alternative feeds develops just as well as those fed with traditional soy-based feed. Moreover, the use of black soldier fly larvae as a feed ingredient provided additional benefits, including an improved amino acid profile in the meat.
In Turkey, experiments were conducted with a diet based on alternative protein sources such as sunflower and insect larvae. It was found that this diet contributed to improved gut microbiota in chickens. In Italy, poultry was tested on feeds based on fava bean and pea protein instead of soy, with the diet supplemented with dried insect larvae. This resulted in improved poultry welfare, including a reduction in stress levels compared to poultry that was not given larvae.
Experimental farms in Spain demonstrated that a diet based on alternative plant protein sources and black soldier fly larvae reduced the environmental impact of poultry farming by 11-12%. Consumer test participants did not report any differences between eggs from hens fed with alternative feeds and those fed with conventional feeds.
Meanwhile, in Tunisia, research focused on supporting backyard poultry farming by using feeds based on agricultural by-products and assessing their impact on local entrepreneurship and the empowerment of women in society.
Implementing the principles of the SUSTAvianFEED program brings multifaceted benefits—economic, environmental, and social. A notable example is the transformation of Tunisia’s poultry sector, which in recent years has evolved from predominantly traditional family farming to large-scale industrial production models. Today, industrial production meets approximately 50% of Tunisia’s domestic poultry demand.
However, despite the industrialization of poultry farming, traditional backyard poultry farming continues to play a significant role in Tunisia. Supported by innovative feed formulas, it presents a promising opportunity for advancing gender equality and social mobility for women in rural Tunisian areas.
Insect farming for feed can be conducted with low infrastructure costs, making it a viable option for backyard poultry farms, which are often managed by women. Studies have shown that by developing local markets and reducing small farms’ dependence on expensive soy imports, Tunisian women were not only able to provide food for their households but also succeeded in generating a stable income.
Alternative Feeds as the Key to Meat Quality
Replacing soy in poultry diets with insect protein and agricultural by-products offers several significant advantages. First, insect larvae are a natural component of birds’ diets, making this type of protein highly digestible for them. Second, feed insects are raised on organic waste, which allows for the utilization of resources that would otherwise go to waste. Additionally, as demonstrated by research conducted within the SUSTAvianFEED program, poultry meat from birds fed an insect meal-enriched diet contains more health-beneficial fatty acids and features an improved flavor and aroma profile.
In the second half of 2024, the scientific journal Animal – The International Journal of Animal Biosciences published a study on the Italian Bianca di Saluzzo chicken breed, aiming to analyze the effects of replacing soybean meal with dried Hermetia illucens larvae in the diet of broilers. The study found that feeds without soybean meal, replaced with insect protein and other plant-based ingredients, positively influenced bird growth while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact of poultry farming.
It was shown that introducing alternative feeds improves growth performance, carcass quality, and beneficial lipid profile changes in muscle tissue. The meat quality of Bianca di Saluzzo chickens fed a soy-free diet was as high as that of chickens raised under standard conditions. Moreover, chickens fed an alternative diet achieved a higher weight-to-feed intake ratio. This alternative farming method also led to a 33% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. This indicates that insect-based feeds could be a promising alternative to traditional poultry nutrition.
Environmental and Farmer Benefits
Alternative poultry farming methods not only improve meat quality but also help reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate. Soy production is associated with intensive land use, deforestation, and long-distance transport, significantly increasing global greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing soy with local by-products and insects helps lower the carbon footprint of poultry farming.
The SUSTAvianFEED program, which involved local communities at various stages of developing innovative solutions, successfully created sustainable poultry feed formulas, improved farming methods, and strengthened the role of women in rural areas. 
Work is underway to develop an eco-label that could help consumers make informed choices that support sustainable development. The program also supported marginalized agricultural sectors, including small-scale farming. Its results demonstrated a 50% reduction in the environmental impact of alternative poultry farming compared to conventional soy-based production. At the same time, comparable production efficiency and poultry meat quality were maintained. Animal health and welfare also improved.
Farmers became less dependent on imported feed, increasing their resilience to price fluctuations in global feed markets. Insect larvae, rich in protein and raised on organic waste, further enhance their appeal as a feed ingredient. Incorporating them into poultry diets supports sustainable farming practices. Chickens fed alternative diets have better adaptability to local conditions and greater disease resistance.
Supplementation with black soldier fly and yellow mealworm larvae benefits bird welfare, allowing them to engage in natural foraging behaviors. Additionally, integrating native poultry breeds could offer further advantages, as locally adapted breeds are naturally resistant to diseases and environmental risks. Free-range farming enhances biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and soil regeneration.
Through local collaborations, producers and farmers can share knowledge and resources, fostering symbiotic market relationships that strengthen social ties and build social capital.
How Can Poland Benefit from These Innovations?
Although Poland did not participate in the SUSTAvianFEED program, poultry farmers in the country can still benefit from its results. It is worth noting that Poland is one of the largest poultry producers in Europe, and the implementation of methods tested in the program could bring advantages to both farmers and consumers. Poland imports significant amounts of soybean meal, exposing the poultry sector to price volatility in global markets, while introducing alternative feeds could reduce Polish farmers’ dependence on this imported raw material.
Local feed sources could help lower the carbon footprint of poultry farming, reducing the environmental impact of Polish poultry farms as well. Insect farming for poultry feed could become a new market segment, creating jobs and enhancing the sustainability of the country’s agricultural production.
The results of the SUSTAvianFEED program indicate that replacing traditional feeds with alternative protein sources, such as black soldier fly larvae or agricultural by-products, can bring tangible and beneficial changes to the poultry sector in Poland as well. Implementing these methods at the national level could contribute to more sustainable and economically viable poultry farming while meeting consumers’ growing demands for quality and ethical food production.
This article was created in collaboration with Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità Onlus as part of the SUSTAvianFEED project, funded by the PRIMA program and supported by the European Union.
