Luigi Avantaggiato

ISPA WINNERS 2023

SINGLE PHOTO

WINNER

At the "Bugs Life" aviary in Bevagna (near Perugia) specimens of Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia Illucens) are bred in order to create protein meals and oil that can be used as a component for feed. Recently, the European Union authorized insect proteins in the diet of fish, poultry, pigs and domestic animals, and they are becoming established as regular components. Protein feedstocks for traditional feed, such as soybean meal and meat and fish by-products, are increasingly unsustainable and are competing with direct human use. Furthermore, the natural appetite of Black Soldier Fly larvae can activate new circular economy models. This is because feeding them helps dispose of large quantities of organic waste from the food industry and their digestion produces resources that can be used in either agriculture or the energy sector.

Biography

Luigi Avantaggiato is a freelance photographer. After earning a Ph.D. in visual studies, he began working as a documentary photographer, with a strong interest in issues related to sustainability, socio-anthropological and environmental transformation. His photographs and articles have been published in international newspapers and magazines (such as Süddeutsche Zeitung, BBC Science Focus, New Scientist, il Venerdì di Repubblica, 7 Corriere, Panorama, Il Corriere della Sera, Cosmos, GEO and others). He has exhibited his work in exhibitions and at festivals in Italy and elsewhere. He is the author of books and essays about photography, cinema and the visual arts.

FINALISTS