Key Takeaways
- Circa Biotech addresses food waste by converting it into animal feed, organic fertilizer, and biofuel using black soldier fly insects at an industrial scale.
- The company operates a B2B model, working with food retailers and processors to divert organic waste from landfills.
- Circa Biotech has developed a proprietary process to convert insect fat into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstock.
- Regulatory navigation and commercialization have been as critical as technological development in scaling the business.
- By 2035, Circa Biotech aims to operate as a global bioeconomy platform with replicated hubs across multiple regions.
Haythem Riahi on the Scale of Global Food Waste
Food waste remains one of the most persistent and costly challenges in global food systems. According to Dr. Haythem Riahi, CEO and Co-Founder of Circa Biotech, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year.
“One third of the food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted,” he said, calling the issue not only an economic inefficiency but also an ethical and environmental concern.
Dr. Riahi founded Circa Biotech in 2019 after more than two decades working for biotechnology and pharmaceutical multinational companies. Originally from France, he relocated to the UAE in 2014 and began exploring business ideas with global relevance.
“It’s huge. Imagine every ton of wheat you plant—one third of it will be scrap,” he explained.
The Environmental Cost of Food Waste
Beyond lost value, food waste carries a substantial environmental burden. Most organic waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and emits methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide.
“Food waste is responsible for over 21% of all methane emissions,” Dr. Riahi said, adding that these emissions exceed those of the entire global transportation sector.
Commercial Viability as a Prerequisite
Despite the scale of the problem, existing waste-treatment solutions remain limited. Landfilling, incineration, and waste-to-energy systems dominate the landscape, each with drawbacks related to emissions, capital intensity, or commercial viability.
“If you want a solution to be impactful, it needs to be commercially viable,” Dr. Riahi noted. “If not, you’ll be depending on subsidies, and that’s not sustainable.”
Why Insects Became the Core Solution
Circa Biotech’s approach draws inspiration from natural ecosystems, where insects act as primary recyclers of organic matter. The company selected the black soldier fly for its short lifecycle, suitability for industrial-scale farming, and low risk of disease transmission.
“In nature, insects are the natural engine of recycling,” Dr. Riahi said.
Scaling Insect Farming in the UAE
After launching a pilot facility in Masdar City in 2020, Circa Biotech focused on optimizing environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity to enable year-round production in the UAE.
Black soldier fly larvae consume food waste rapidly, converting it into biomass rich in protein and fat.
“They have between 60 to 65% protein,” Dr. Riahi explained. “To give you a comparison, chicken breast is around 32 to 35%.”
Beyond Feed: Fertilizer and Sustainable Aviation Fuel
What differentiates Circa Biotech from many insect farming peers is its focus on multiple revenue streams. In addition to protein meal for animal feed, the company produces organic fertilizer and extracts insect fat for biofuel applications.
Haythem Riahi on Insect-Based SAF Feedstock
“Currently, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is mainly using used cooking oil, as feedstock,” Dr. Riahi said. “What we are proposing is an animal fat.”
He explained that insect fat has a higher ester content than vegetable oils, allowing for higher fuel yields.
“Nobody will think that we will be killing millions of animals for their fat to put in planes,” he added. “Insects, we can.”
Circa Biotech’s facility in Al Ain currently processes around 6,000 tons of food waste per year, with plans to scale to 168,000 tons annually within four years. The company has developed intellectual property around insect-based fuel production, with patents registered in the United States and pending locally.
Commercialization and Regulatory Challenges
Scaling the business required navigating complex regulatory environments, particularly as insect farming had no established licensing framework in the UAE.
“We created the license under which we are operating,” Dr. Riahi said, noting that it took over a year to secure approval.
B2B Waste Diversion Model
Circa Biotech operates exclusively in B2B markets, sourcing food waste from retailers and processors who previously paid landfill fees.
“At the end of the day, they will be paying less than what they are paying right now,” he said.
Since 2023, the company has transitioned from R&D into revenue generation, selling fertilizer, protein meal, and insect fat to different industries.
Lessons from Industry Setbacks
The insect farming sector has faced setbacks, including high-profile bankruptcies in Europe. Dr. Riahi attributes these failures to unsuitable insect species, unrealistic pricing assumptions, and insufficient focus on sales.
“They completely neglected commercialization,” he said. “Even if you produce, it doesn’t mean people will buy.”
He also questioned the fit between industrial-scale ventures and traditional venture capital.
“We are an infrastructure,” he said. “Building a factory and ramping up production is a 24-month process. How are you expecting returns in three or four years?”
Haythem Riahi’s Vision for Circa Biotech in 2035
By 2035, Dr. Riahi envisions Circa Biotech operating replicated hubs across Asia, Europe, and North America, supported by joint ventures with biofuel refineries.
“What we are today was a dream five years ago,” he reflected. “We are working towards our dreams.”
For Circa Biotech, insects are not just an alternative protein source—they are a foundation for a broader circular economy model linking waste management, agriculture, and energy production under one industrial platform.
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