Farm 432 enables people to become independent from the system of current meat production by growing their own protein source at home.

Sure.

I see two main issues. First, her design sucks. And I think the appeal of soldier fly larva for home consumption is limited. And keep in mind this is an argument for suspicion about THIS project specifically, not towards eating insects or soldier fly consumption

To understand why I say this its important to understand the context of of the agricultural usage of the Black Soldier fly in America. It's been used for composting in the United States since at least shortly after the end of WWII and a very large number of gardeners, including myself make use of them in easy to build bio-composters or purpose-build models. And yet it seems none of us are eating Soldier Flies.

So, to address the first point. Her design seems much more a puff piece then something designed for utility. I don't think there's much of a market at all for an open tabletop soldier fly composter which takes fruit and veg you would otherwise eat yourself and that looks like it will allow the smell of fly feces, enzyme digested foods, and putrifying foods, to filter into your house. It's a twee design school project that doesn't seem to have any drive behind it and which hasn't seen any follow through on. It also seems to have no effluent drainage solution, so the larvae would eventually drown in their own Liquid waste unless the machine is emptied and cleaned every so often. FAR better (from a practical perspective) "automatic larvae collection" composters have existed for a long while. I suppose they're not pretty enough for a design magazine though

And as to my second point - why I don't thinksoldier fly larvae will become a big home cooking sensation anytime soon despite the fact that a vast multitude are "harvested" every year by home gardeners? On one hand they make great animal feed. On the other hand I think texture would be a MAJOR issue. mature larvae are tough chitinous little things I wouldn't want to bite into when so long other food options are available.

A third thing I could point out, and is only circumstantial of course, is that that even thought the designer goes out of her way to show herself eating insects and shows food prepared with soldier flies no one is actually seen eating THAT. This feeling that the product is not optimal for home cookery but would be more suitable for restaurant/institutional processing have also been echoed by subsequent efforts to see Soldier flies become a viable food product.

/r/tech Thread Link - livinstudio.com