[LUM#8] Insectivore

[LUM Magazine] - Published on January 8, 2019 in Entrepreneurship, Science-Society

Promoting the consumption of insects is the very serious professional project of Benoit Salmon, a student entrepreneur and enterprising individual.

How will we be able to feed the 10 billion people who will populate the planet in 2050? The question seemed far removed from the career path of Benoit Salmon, then a master's student in entrepreneurship at Montpellier Management. "I was helping a friend who was working on this topic, and something clicked, "says the young man. That click presented the student with a real challenge: how to ensure that everyone has a sufficient protein intake while preserving the environment? One solution: eating insects. "For the same amount of protein, raising certain insects consumes up to 200 times less water than producing meat, which is a crucial issue in terms of sustainable development," explains Benoit Salmon.

He decided to take up the challenge and make it his master's thesis project: "I created the company Let's Try, whose goal was to market food products made from insect flour." The young man quickly ran into regulatory obstacles. Rather than abandoning his project, he decided to evolve it. "I then set myself the task of promoting the consumption of insects." To achieve this, Benoit Salmon decided to create a new media outlet aimed at professionals in the sector. "I offer them high-quality information through market analysis, monitoring, and press reviews." The website Entomophagy and Business, the first media outlet dedicated to the edible insect market, was then launched.

A lobby for edible insects

While waiting for the official launch of his media outlet, Benoit Salmon has opted for a new path aimed at making room for insects in the food supply. He is currently in Brussels, where he works forthe International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), the association representing producers of insects for animal feed and human consumption at the European level. Responsible for internal and external communications, he manages social media, internal and external newsletters, implements communication tools, and handles press relations. "This internship allows me to gain experience in this field and to be closer to all the players in the sector," says the young man.

Benoit Salmon was able to implement his original project thanks in part to tailored support. "I was fortunate enough to benefit from student entrepreneur status during my time at university," he explains. "In particular, I was able to replace my master's internship with real market research in Asia, which was a major advantage, "says the student entrepreneur, who hopes to carve out a niche for mealworms and crickets on our grocery store shelves.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Students, LUM#8, LUM Magazine