Intelligent, decentralized breeding of black soldier flies for the agriculture of the future
The EIP project ReproFly was officially launched on 11 June 2025. Project coordinator Jens Schröder, Head of the Automation Technology Department at DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e. V., received the funding decision from Lower Saxony's Minister of Agriculture Miriam Staudte at a formal handover ceremony.
Together with its project partners Larvae Solutions GmbH and SLA Software Logistik Artland GmbH, DIL is pursuing the goal of developing an innovative, fully automated system for breeding black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) directly on farms.
Challenge: Supply gaps in larval fattening
The use of soldier fly larvae is considered a promising method for the sustainable utilization of organic residues in agriculture. Until now, however, farmers have had to rely on external larvae supplies - with disadvantages such as long transportation routes, losses of young larvae and insufficient predictability in biomass production.
The aim of ReproFly: automation and decentralization
This is exactly where ReproFly comes in: The project is developing a technical system that enables farmers to reproduce the young larvae they need directly on site and with minimal labor. The planned system is highly automated, scalable and specially tailored to the needs of farms in rural areas. It therefore makes an important contribution to independence, increased efficiency and sustainability in agricultural insect breeding.
Picture: Landwirtschaftsministerium