[Climate Tech Battle⑥] Bandalsofteu, "Solving Climate and Food Issues with Edible Insects"

Development of Smart Farm Technology for Future Food Insect Farming
Interview with BandaeSoft CEO Bonghak Lee

"We are developing smart farm technology to efficiently raise insects as future food." CEO Lee Bong-hak succinctly introduced Bandalsoft's business. 'Edible insects' are gaining attention as food ingredients in many countries around the world, including Europe and the United States. Edible insects such as crickets and mealworms are also sold domestically. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified them as an alternative solution to future food shortages. Above all, the carbon emissions during the breeding process are low. The carbon emitted to produce the same amount of protein is only about 1/30 that of beef. Integrating IT technology to create the optimal environment for raising edible insects is closely linked to solving humanity's food and climate problems. Since founding Bandalsoft in 2017, CEO Lee has walked this unfamiliar but necessary path.

Lee Bong-hak, CEO of Bandalsoft, is inspecting insects at an edible insect smart farm.

On the 22nd, CEO Lee said, "When I started the company, the goal was to solve social problems based on technological capabilities, and the first was the food issue," adding, "We will continue to supplement the lacking parts with software technology." Lee, who majored in computer engineering, became connected to insects through his father. Watching his father receive training in edible insect breeding, he noticed problems such as insects easily dying depending on temperature and humidity, and the repetitive nature of breeding work. He believed IT technology could solve these problems and created a smart farm device that automatically and precisely controls temperature and humidity 24 hours a day to maintain an optimized environment for insects. He also developed facilities that can manage insects customized by size and species.

Insect smart farm technology has also been developed by global companies in France, the Netherlands, Canada, and others, but these focus on expensive hardware. Bandalsoft emphasizes that their solution is an affordable version that can be easily applied at any domestic farm. CEO Lee said, "Our long-term goal is to distribute Bandalsoft's smart farm technology to more than half of the domestic insect breeding farms." There are about 2,800 insect breeding farms nationwide, and currently, Bandalsoft's smart farm is installed in 12 locations, including farms they operate themselves. Although there is still a long way to go, they are steadily preparing to expand to 28 locations, which corresponds to 1% this year. They anticipate that market expansion and government support will accelerate the distribution speed thereafter.

Bandalsoft's smart farm is fundamentally an environmental control technology. It automatically controls temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and more. This varies depending on the insect species. For example, it takes about 60 days to raise crickets from eggs to adults. Drinking water is important, and the lighting needed varies according to growth stages. Bandalsoft provides technology to raise crickets, two-spotted crickets, mealworms, brown beetles, larvae, and black soldier flies.

Lee Bong-hak, CEO of Bandalsoft, is inspecting insects at an edible insect smart farm.

To verify this technology, since 2020, they have been producing insects directly at their own farms in Daejeon and Nonsan. Initially, they experienced trial and error such as system errors and pest outbreaks. However, currently, their self-produced insects are in such high demand that they cannot keep up with sales. CEO Lee explained, "On about 60 pyeong (approximately 198 square meters) of farm area, 1 to 1.5 million insects are produced every two months," adding, "Recently, sales for feed purposes have increased." Edible insects are sold not only as feed but also as fertilizer and medicinal materials. Although the domestic edible insect market is in its early stages compared to Europe and others, the business potential is sufficient even beyond edible use. CEO Lee said, "We also plan to expand smart farm technology to mushroom cultivation, but for now, we will focus on increasing the types of insects that can be bred."

They have also entered the global market. Last year, in partnership with Good Neighbors, they started an edible insect smart farm business in Vietnam. CEO Lee said, "We have set up a farm of about 120 pyeong (approximately 396 square meters) near Ho Chi Minh City and plan to sell products in food and feed forms," adding, "Vietnam will serve as a production base to manufacture products for sale to the United States, Europe, and other markets."