Translator: Reviewer: Javi Garriz
In 2012, I decided to live in Spain
and start a sustainable business with my partner, Julián.
This is my farm.
I'm a farmer.
And this will be my farm soon, in two months;
we're going to expand our endeavor.
I wanted to speak about my farm because it's different.
How?
First, traditional farming uses more than 70 percent of our lands.
We have the possibility of raising stock vertically
in shelves, like a logistics system.
Also,
at my farm, we use one of the best biodegradation systems.
Meaning,
my stock feeds only on products that are not on sale
and also on ecological and traditional agricultural waste.
My farm is special and different because,
as opposed to traditional farming,
which uses more than 70 percent
of our water resources,
we are going to use only between 1 and 3 L
to produce 1 Kg of meat.
1 Kg of meat.
By comparison, in order to grow an ear of corn,
we'll spend 600 L of water.
600 liters.
Like that.
Also, at my farm, we don't waste electricity.
Why?
Because my stock has a self-heating system.
It only needs a little bit of heat.
We take our energy from our food.
They don't.
My animals' great advantage
is their conversion rate.
For example, in order to gain 100 Kg of cow meat
we'll use 1,200 Kg of feed.
My stock is going to need only 200 Kg
to get 100 Kg of meat.
That's 6 times less than cow meat
and 4 times less than pork.
Pork needs 800 Kg of feed.
Incredible.
Also, as opposed to pork
of which we can eat only 65 percent,
my stock is 100 percent digestible and usable.
My farm will also achieve zero waste.
Zero.
Why?
Because my animals' excrement
is considered one of the best natural fertilizers in the world.
And, at my farm, we're researching
how to use of everything that makes up my stock
to use it in medicine, cosmetics, bioenergy.
Zero waste.
My farm is different because the most incredible thing
is its growth rate.
On Monday, I'm going to pick up 1 Kg of eggs.
On Wednesday, 72 hours later (3 days)
I'm going to have 300 Kg of meat.
300 Kg.
72 hours.
It's important to know that traditional farming
is responsible for 18 percent
of all the greenhouse gases in our world.
My farming is responsible for much less pollution,
including ammonia gases.
Thanks to our research, our motivation,
and all of my stock's advantages,
soon, in two months, we will be able
to produce 1 ton of meat per week.
One ton.
In 2015 we will be able to produce 4 tons of meat per week.
Everyone remembers the various crises
in traditional farming,
yes, in public health.
In 1995, mad cow disease.
Then, avian flu with birds.
In 2008, swine flu in Latin America.
My stock has a metabolism so different from ours
and that of traditional stock
that the risk of disease transmission is nearly inexistent.
It's healthy.
Well,
I'm a farmer.
And this is my stock.
At my farm, we breed and control several families of worms,
fly larvae,
crickets,
grasshoppers.
I can see a few people's faces in the audience
and it seems very funny to me.
(Laughter)
It's funny to me -- Why?
We'll peel a prawn,
a crayfish.
You know?
You cut off the head, take the skin off,
you see the intestine vein,
Pop! Mayonnaise and we'll eat it.
A little bit weird.
We'll also eat snails,
which come from my country, France,
We'll skin a hen.
But the idea of eating a cricket salad in Europe,
is disgusting.
Well, it's important to know
that insects represent 80 percent
of all living beings in our planet.
80 percent.
For me they're the kings of the world,
but don't say it too loud
or you'll give them the idea of world domination.
We have to be careful with them, yeah?
In addition,
insects are eaten since more than 2,000 years ago.
2,000 years.
And for us, the idea is...
disgusting.
It's also important to know
that, today, more than 1,900 types of edible insects exist in the world.
And that we in Europe are the weird ones.
Why?
There are more than 2,000 million people in the world
that already eat insects,
especially in Asia,
Africa,
Latin America.
Why do they eat them?
Why?
Because they're excellent and delicious, more than anything.
(Laughter)
It's true!
They're a huge source of vitamins,
especially vitamin B.
They're a rich source of iron
calcium,
minerals.
But, above all, for us,
the most important thing.
It's important to know that, in an insect,
we can find
between 48 percent and 76 percent pure protein,
of a high quality.
Who can eat insects?
Pigs,
birds,
fish,
and us.
I'm a farmer and my farm is special.
We transform insects into dried products
and flour.
How can we cook them?
Like any other ingredient in our daily diet.
For example,
we can add some fly larvae to a spiced rice dish
to eat more protein and give ourselves more energy.
In Belgium there's a company that already
produces fresh pastas from worm flour.
Soon you could find this type of product at the grocery store.
It's really good.
(Laughter)
In England, my partners, a young business,
is preparing you
dishes to take home,
to your office.
They're delicious cubes
with insect ingredients,
with insect meat inside.
This business is also developing
a wide range of products,
including spread and croquettes.
There's still a legal vacuum in Spain and Europe
regarding the consumption and sale of edible insects.
However,
it's been 5 years since the FAO,
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,
has been promoting edible insects worldwide.
In December of 2013, the government of Belgium was the first
to authorize the consumption and sale of 10 types of edible insects.
And I'm proud to announce to you
that since last week
you can find in most of Belgium's supermarkets
this type of product,
which are tomato and carrot spread
and flour worms.
In my opinion, it will be soon
that our kitchens will have domestic appliances like this one
that allow you to farm in your own home
in an educational and healthy way,
your own fly larvae
to add to your rice dish.
(Laughter)
In a world in which soon
we'll be 9 billion people to feed.
A world in which traditional farming
uses more than half of our natural resources.
A world in which the prices of fishmeal,
cereals,
and most foods
haven't stopped increasing for 10 years.
In a world where almost all land is already cultivated,
almost all fish mostly caught,
it's mandatory that the most open minds,
including this audience,
value solutions that are alternative,
innovative,
healthy,
delicious,
more economical,
and more eco-friendly.
Today,
together,
we build tomorrow.
Thank you.
(Applause)