Plants vs. Bugs: Crafting Sustainable Pet Food with BSM Partners’ Expert Teams

As sustainability shifts from a niche interest to a global imperative, the pet food industry is following suit. Pet parents increasingly expect brands to align with their values, prioritizing eco-conscious decisions without compromising quality. One of the most impactful ways brands can achieve this is by reinventing how they source protein. 

Forward-thinking formulators are exploring innovative, lower-impact proteins, including those derived from plants and insects. These alternatives offer a promising route to reducing environmental burden while still delivering essential nutrition. However, each presents unique opportunities—and challenges. 

Plant-Based Proteins: Accessible, Scalable, and Proven 

Plant-based proteins, such as peas, lentils, soy, and chickpeas, are already used in many pet food formulations. Their sustainability advantage comes from requiring fewer resources to produce than animal-based proteins. For example, studies have shown that plant proteins require 6- to 20-times less fossil fuel energy and 4.4- to 26-times less water than their meat-based alternatives.  

Plant-based protein sources also benefit from well-established agricultural infrastructure, making them relatively easy to source and scale. In some cases, they can even contribute to carbon sequestration when paired with regenerative farming. 

However, they are not without environmental concerns. Over-reliance on monoculture crops, such as soy and corn, can lead to soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss, particularly when not managed using sustainable farming techniques. 

It is worth noting that the definition of sustainability is quite vague, and how sustainable plant-based or insect-based diets appear depends on the measurement used.  In one study, a vegan canned dog food demonstrated notable environmental advantages over meat-based formulas, including a 37% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 18% reduction in smog formation. However, it had a significant increase in land use and freshwater eutrophication over the meat formula, so it’s all about how you define “sustainable” and present the data.  

 

Insect-Based Proteins: The High-Efficiency Innovators 

The idea of feeding bugs to pets may raise eyebrows, but insect proteins like black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and crickets are rapidly gaining respect in the pet nutrition world. BSFL can convert organic waste into high-quality protein, effectively closing the loop on food waste. They also have an impressive food conversion rate of approximately 1.6, making them among the most efficient protein sources available. 

Insect farming requires significantly less land and water than traditional livestock production, and it is well suited to vertical farming environments that minimize environmental impact. Companies like IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients are already helping brands integrate BSFL into pet diets as a highly sustainable solution. However, as the industry scales, challenges remain—including the need for specialized infrastructure, continued consumer education, and compliance with evolving regulatory standards.  

How BSM Partners Helps Pet Food Brands Navigate Protein Innovation 

At BSM Partners, we understand that formulating with alternative proteins is about more than environmental metrics. It’s about ensuring nutritional performance, regulatory compliance, and market resonance.  

Our team of veterinarians and animal nutritionists thoroughly evaluates digestibility, amino acid profiles, and the overall nutritional adequacy of new protein sources. Insect-based proteins, such as BSFL, have demonstrated excellent digestibility and provide complete amino acid profiles, making them a viable and nutritious option for pet food formulations.  

Navigating regulatory requirements is another critical step. The frameworks governing insect- and plant-based ingredients are still in development. BSM Partners helps brands secure ingredient approvals for use in pet food, meet domestic and international regulatory guidelines, and develop compliant labeling strategies. Our goal is to help clients anticipate and address regulatory roadblocks early in the development cycle, enabling them to move confidently from concept to market.  

Equally important is understanding what consumers want. Our Branding, Strategy and Marketing (BSM2) team studies trends in pet parent behavior and sustainability perceptions to guide brand positioning. We help clients develop messaging that resonates with eco-conscious buyers and differentiates their products in a crowded market. 

From Hype to Shelf: Making Sustainability Work in Practice 

At BSM Partners, we help brands do more than ride the sustainability wave—we help them lead it. Whether you're considering plant-based proteins to reduce carbon output or planning to scale insect farming partnerships, we work with you to balance environmental impact with nutritional excellence. Our comprehensive suite of services ensures that your ingredients and formulations meet evolving regulatory requirements, positioning your brand with authentic, data-driven sustainability stories that inspire consumer trust. 

Innovation is exciting, but without the right strategy, it can fall short. That’s why we offer full-spectrum support across product development, compliance, and consumer engagement to ensure your alternative protein initiative succeeds in a competitive, rapidly evolving market. 

Ready to Future-Proof Your Protein Strategy? 

If you're ready to explore novel protein sources that are better for pets and the planet, BSM Partners is your trusted partner. From concept to launch, we offer the expertise to ensure your next sustainable product thrive nutritionally, ethically, and commercially. Get in touch! 

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates on all things happening here at BSM Partners.

About the Author

Lee Ann Hagerty is Director of Customer Enrichment and Consumer Insights on the BSM Product Innovation team with 29+ years in the pet food industry, working for Iams/Eukanuba, Procter & Gamble, and Mars Pet Care. She brings a unique combination of project management skills with consumer insights, product design, animal nutrition, and sensory science which drives an in-depth understanding of the pet and consumer. Lee Ann has a passion for helping dogs. Over the last year and a half, she has fostered over 22 dogs. Many of them were senior dogs who had lived their entire lives outside as hunting dogs. She has been a foster pet parent for many years, and it brings her great joy to see these pets find fur-ever homes where they live with families indoors with love and care.