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Written question asked by Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 26 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 April 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Monday, 13 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Insects: Waste Disposal

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider reclassifying insects from the farmed livestock classification under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, Article 3(6), to enable insect bioconversion for waste treatment.

Answer

There are no plans to review Article 3(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 that defines insects as farmed animals and therefore restricts their use in insect bioconversion for waste treatment. This is because catering waste cannot be fed to farmed animals. This position is set out in Defra’s animal by-products policy guidance: Supplying and using animal by-products as farm animal feed - GOV.UK.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
124254
Session
2024-26
Subjects
EU law Insects Waste disposal Classification schemes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk