ACCELERATE2030
GLOBAL FINALIST PROFILE
“Costa Rica Insect Company has the purpose of creating sustainable solutions based on insects, as well as providing high-quality nutritional and healthy solutions for malnutrition.”
Costa Rica Insect Company
COSTA RICA
The Problem
Currently, we are using about 50% of the habitable land for agriculture and the livestock industry is the major contributor to CO2 emissions, but in just 30 years the amount of food available will not be enough for the world’s population. There are also alarms in the health sector because of the number of people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, both due to malnutrition.
The Solution
Costa Rica Insect Company (CRIC) has the purpose of creating sustainable solutions based on insects. We create raw materials and ingredients for food production which is high in protein. We believe our solution is the food of the future.
The environmental benefit of using insects as a source of food and feed has been proven to be not only the option that benefits the most but also the only option that is scalable and sustainable for the future.
We have developed 100% Acheta Domesticus cricket powder, ethically produced and sacrificed, assured traceability, with a high nutritive value and also a very low carbon footprint. This cricket powder lasts up to 1 year in storage, and it has multiple uses including fortifying bread, cookies, shakes, protein bars and even pasta, delivering a final product that is nutritive, delicious and sustainable.
With the cricket powder as a sustainable alternative of protein for the food industry and to develop biochemical components for more sustainable production of plastic, pharmaseutical, technology and packaging.
Markets
- Current Market: Costa Rica & Mexico
- Target Market (2019/ 2020): USA (2020), The Netherlands
DANIELA ARIAS & ALEJANDRO JOSE ORTEGA ALVAREZ
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER (DANIELA)
CO-FOUNDER & CEO (ALEJANDRO)
Online: https://cric.tech/
Key Facts
- We created the first insect farm for human consumption in Central America.
- We work together with farmers and woman in rural areas of the country for them to become insect farmers instead of using livestock.
- Compared with common livestock, our water footprint is 2,000 times lower and we produce three times more protein.
- We use circular economy practices by partnering with companies in Costa Rica, one for example is to feed our insects with waste material with high quality.
Impact to Date
Below you will find some of the impact numbers of this venture to date.
CURRENT DEMAND FOR PRODUCT:
2 TONS
PER MONTH
%
REDUCTION IN COST OF CRICKET POWDER FROM AVERAGE MARKET RATE IN FIRST 10 MONTHS OF PRODUCTION
FAMILIES IN COSTA RICA CURRENTLY IN TRAINING TO BECOME PARTNER INSECT FARMERS
Investors and Partners
We invite you to join us in Geneva, Switzerland to learn about this venture and the other ten 2019 Accelerate2030 global finalists. Please contact us to learn how you can engage with us.
Media Inquiries
Please contact:
Annie Freyschlag
Communications and Programme Assistant
annie.freyschlag@impacthub.ch