Insect Farming
Insect Farming Certification
About the certification
Friend of the Earth insect farming certification assesses rearing practices and the environmental and social management of insect production. The checklist includes specific controls for containment, species-specific conditions, insect care and the origin and monitoring of feed substrates.
Certification applies to the products, sites and activities included in the approved scope. Buyers can check the certification record to confirm which species and products are covered.
What can be certified
Farmed insects and products derived from them can be assessed within a defined production scope. Species include black soldier flies, house flies, mealworms, moths, silkworms, crickets and grasshoppers. Individual operators and farmers’ cooperatives can apply.
Your application should identify the species, life stages, estimated populations, production sites and products you want assessed. Describe the intended uses, such as pet food, animal feed or human consumption, and any processing activities. The certification team will confirm the appropriate scope and assessment arrangements.
What the standard covers
The insect farming checklist covers 11 assessment areas. Essential and Important criteria are compulsory, with different procedures for addressing nonconformities. Recommendations are assessed and recorded separately. The auditor determines applicability to the proposed production system.
Operators maintain documented policies, procedures and records, with a designated person overseeing implementation. Management-system documents are retained for at least three years. Checks cover staff training, access controls, emergency procedures and equipment maintenance. A life cycle assessment covering the production system and its inputs is recommended.
Operators provide evidence that production and farming activities conform to applicable environmental legislation. The checklist also requires the relevant health authorisation and identification number. Official documents are available for the auditor to review.
Checks cover sealed or filtered openings to prevent insects entering or escaping from laboratory insectaries, screening of incoming insects and supplies, and controlled human access. Operator provide conditions suited to the species, including temperature, humidity, space, light, population size and egg-laying substrates. Worker precautions address insect-protein hypersensitivity, bites, stings and exposure to toxic substances. Production areas must avoid adverse effects on critical natural habitats and designated conservation areas. An ecosystem conservation plan is recommended where facility construction has altered or destroyed a natural ecosystem.
The checklist prohibits toxic and persistent chemical compounds and requires handling of chemicals, fuels and oils to prevent contamination and harm to people. Monitoring covers rearing substrates, processing and the intended use of insect products, including microbial and chemical contamination risks. Substrates must be traceable and monitored for toxins, pathogens, chemical residues and allergens.
Genetically modified insects are prohibited. Operators provide adequate nutrition, take measures to prevent cannibalism and maintain a breeding environment as close as possible to natural conditions. The checklist addresses unnecessary stress and requires killing techniques that ensure immediate death; it also specifies sedation before scientific experimentation where applicable. Species inventories, population estimates and secure, identified rearing areas support the assessment. Regular veterinary attention, nationally approved medicines, dedicated medicine storage and treatment records are also covered.
Feed used throughout the life of the insects must originate from agricultural activities that conform to Friend of the Earth requirements; some sources may be assessed during the audit. Operators record and update rations for different groups and regularly monitor traceable feed substrates for pathogens, bacteria, chemical residues, toxins and other harmful substances. Their organisational plan also considers the relationship between feed input and the protein and other nutritional content produced.
Operators identify water sources, analyse non-mains water at least annually and hold the necessary permissions for surface-water or groundwater use. Polluted water receives appropriate treatment. Wastewater must meet applicable discharge requirements and avoid degrading receiving waters; the checklist provides minimum parameters where legal requirements do not exist. Recovery of suitable substances from wastewater and rainwater collection in closed tanks are recommendations.
Operators identify sources of dust and particulate emissions and set reduction targets and strategies. Ozone-depleting substances are excluded. Laboratory insectaries must have suitable insulation and highly filtered, recirculated air.
Operators document disposal of all facility waste streams, treat or remove wastes at suitable intervals and maintain facilities that prevent pollution. Recoverable inorganic materials are reused or recycled, and organic materials are composted or reused where applicable. Organic and inorganic wastes are separated. Residues or organic wastes contaminated by biological or agrochemical sources must not be composted, mulched or otherwise reused.
Annual calculations cover purchased energy, on-site renewable generation and consumption, transport and equipment fuels, and embedded energy use and production. Operators adjust and calibrate equipment used for heating, drying, grinding and extraction to optimise efficiency. They set energy-reduction goals and assess progress. The checklist also covers a commitment to renewable energy and credit purchases where energy is not entirely renewable.
Checks cover conformity with international and ILO provisions on child labour, wages at least equal to the legal minimum, access to medical care and workplace safety. Employment records and conditions observed on site support the assessment. SA8000 certification is a recommendation.
Traceability from substrate to product
Traceable feed substrates and an inventory of insect species and estimated populations are part of the insect farming assessment. These records help establish the identity and origin of the production being assessed.
The separate Friend of the Earth traceability checklist covers identification of certified products, separation from non-certified products, a suitable traceability system, annual checks, staff training and recall or withdrawal procedures. The certification team will confirm how these controls apply to your processing and supply chain. A certified farm or ingredient supplier does not automatically authorise every finished product to carry the label.
Independent certification
An independent certification body assesses the relevant sites, activities and supporting evidence. Audit findings and corrective actions are reviewed before the certification decision. Recommendations are recorded separately from compulsory criteria.
For farmers’ cooperatives, the insect checklist specifies annual checks of a representative sample at least equal in size to the square root of the total number of member farms. Contact our team to confirm the arrangements for your proposed scope.
How certification works
1 Apply: Submit the Preliminary Information Form, identifying the insect species, products, sites, feed substrates and activities you want assessed.
2 Confirm scope and costs: Review the proposed scope, agreement and certification body’s audit quotation before proceeding.
3 Independent audit: Provide site access and records covering rearing conditions, populations, feed sources and monitoring, veterinary care, processing and traceability, alongside environmental and employment evidence.
4 Address findings: Complete the required corrections or corrective-action plan and provide supporting evidence within the applicable deadlines. The certification body will confirm the procedure for each finding.
5 Certification decision: The certification body reviews the assessment and decides whether certification can be issued for the proposed products and scope.
6 Maintain certification: Continue meeting the applicable criteria, keep records and complete the required follow-up assessments. Use of the logo remains subject to authorisation and the usage rules.
Certification fees
Annual royalties depend on the applicant’s category, revenue band and products or species covered. The published price list applies to new contracts. Audit costs are separate and quoted by the certification body. VAT is additional where applicable.
Submit your proposed scope so we can confirm the applicable fees and arrange an audit quotation.
Standards and supporting documents
Check certification status
Use the Friend of the Earth ID to find the certification record. Check the product or species, certificate holder, scope, status and validity dates. A company name in the directory does not mean that all its products are certified.
Frequently asked questions
Examples include black soldier flies, house flies, mealworms, moths, silkworms, crickets and grasshoppers. The species, life stages, production system and proposed products must be identified so the assessment scope can be confirmed.
Certification covers the products, sites and activities included in the approved scope. Other products sold by the same business are not automatically covered.
Yes. The checklist allows cooperative applications and specifies annual assessment of a representative sample of member farms.
The checklist records these feed sources, but recording a source does not automatically establish its acceptability. Feed-origin, traceability and monitoring criteria still apply. Describe each proposed substrate and supplier so the certification team can assess the applicable conditions.
No. The insect checklist makes conformity of agricultural feed origins with Friend of the Earth requirements an Essential criterion. It should not be treated as an optional recommendation to purchase certified feed.
No. The checklist prohibits the rearing of genetically modified insects.
Yes. It includes species-specific rearing conditions, adequate nutrition, measures to prevent cannibalism, natural behaviour, stress, killing methods and veterinary attention.
Certification confirms the scope assessed against the applicable Friend of the Earth criteria. It does not replace the authorisations needed for the species, substrate, product or intended use in the relevant market. Confirm the proposed use when applying.
Supplier certification alone does not approve a finished product or transfer label-use rights. The product’s scope, traceability and authorisation must be confirmed before the label is used.
Check the issue and expiry dates and current status in the certification record. The certification body will confirm the follow-up assessment arrangements for your scope.
Apply for insect farming certification
Tell us which insects and products you want assessed, where they are produced, the feed substrates used and how rearing conditions are managed. Include the relevant processing and distribution activities so we can confirm the appropriate scope and next steps.
The Preliminary Information Form is confidential and does not commit you to proceeding with an audit.
