Hoeve Rosa is a modern, innovative dairy farm located in the southern region of the Netherlands.

The Connection to Protein Innovation

With our automatic feed system, we are able to feed different groups of animals very precisely. Energy and protein play an important role in an animal’s diet. The protein component in our feed comes primarily from South America, in the form of soy. In this project, we would like to determine whether insect protein is a suitable alternative to soy protein.

We are interested in finding out whether insect protein can be beneficial to the health of our livestock and how it might decrease the carbon footprint of our company. We would also like to know what the effect would be on our end-product — milk. Are the nutritional values higher than when the cows are fed protein from a traditional source?

The rearing of insects for protein is worthy of further research. Insect protein could potentially have a great impact on the further sustainability of livestock farming and the creation of new business opportunities.

Fons Kersten, Owner