Proteios is a start-up company which has engaged in the supply of sustainable harvested and organically cultivated edible proteins and oils for the feed and food industry, such as producing protein mass from non-food sources like mesopelagic fish, maggots, larvae and organic waste.
Mesopelagic fish are small, abundant fish living in the mesopelagic zone between the depth of 200-1000m. They are found in all oceans, except the Arctic. With a current estimate of ~1,000 million tons, the global abundance and biomass of mesopelagic fish are massive.
These volumes combined with the richness of protein and omega-3 oil, make mesopelagic fish the feed resource that the fish farming industry has been looking for.
Using the latest generation of echo sounders and sonar technology, Proteios offers to map and deliver data that will confirm the potential for sustainable commercial fishing in a specific area.
To enable fishers to take part in the fishing, Proteios provides a micro-financing program giving them the opportunity to purchase the necessary equipment, trawls, tools, repairs and training.
To meet the need for protein, feed suppliers ought to think differently. Maggots are one way to go. They have a remarkable ability to transform nearly any kind of organic waste into high-quality protein, with zero waste, zero human rights issues and zero deforestation.
Maggot farmers are raising the insects on food/agricultural waste. After 13 days they are ready to be harvested. Proteios will collect the maggots and pack them up for sale. Then the protein can either be used for feed as-is or sent to a feed manufacturer for drying and processing into protein-rich meal and oil.
The number of maggot farms is growing, and through our microfinance program, we will support setting up even more maggot farms. By this, Proteios are guaranteed access to high-quality protein, while the farmers get a steady income and the opportunity to further expand their business.
Instead of going to landfills, Proteios wish to use food waste as a feed source for maggot farming. This way the waste ends up as healthy, sustainable and low-cost food for farm animals. Proteios will be the link between on the one hand the food waste collecting companies and on the other hand maggot farmers and manufacturers using organic waste as a feed ingredient.
Due to the shortage of quality feed, Proteios offer nations where we have a license for fisheries of mesopelagic fish, the right to offtake 50% of the protein we produce. Using protein as feed for livestock and fish farming will make a substantial contribution to national food security.