The Black Soldier Fly

This chapter follows Dr. Wu in his work to devise a solution for organic waste treatment using insects. By examining the tension between China's urban development and the sustainable treatment of organic waste, the chapter argues that China's project to institute a green modernity increasingly shows a preference for scientific solutions that address local conditions. This preference is in stark contrast to previous policies and approaches under which Chinese cities, for example, pushed for the adoption of imported waste management technologies and, in the case of organic waste, expelled the animals that served as a de facto waste management system. The chapter also highlights the longer historical traditions and practices that buttress the development of technology. China has a specific history of using insects as a tool and resource and has also focused on biological pest control in domestic entomological research. As a waste management technology, the Black Soldier Fly project creates a new use for insects while simultaneously generating increased interspecies dependencies between insects and humans.