23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Black soldier fly farming in China.

Insect farming, a practice rooted in both ancestral knowledge and cutting-edge research, promotes more equitable and regenerative agricultural models. Some insects, in fact, can upcycle organic waste into biofertilizer and feed for animals such as chickens, and many freshwater fish, which eat insects in their natural diet. Asia, and China in particular, has become a focal point for insect farming. With its ideal tropical conditions and high volumes of organic byproducts from agricultural and urban centers, China is uniquely positioned to harness the benefits of insect farming. In the picture a worker is checking black soldier fly adults at a production facility near Guangzhou I n this farm over 200,000 tons of organic waste are processed annually.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: China
Copyright: © Umberto Diecinove