BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:24535@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Revolutionist nights - Stopping the Insect Industry DTSTAMP:20260705T231656Z DTSTART:20260709T163000Z DTEND:20260709T190000Z DESCRIPTION:Open: 18:30 - 21:00 hrs\nTickets: € 0\n\nI'm sure none of us im agined we'd be spending our evenings strategising about\nhow to help insec ts\, but here we are! Welcome to the cutting edge of activism.\n\n\nBackgr ound\n\nInsect farming boomed over the last two decades on a simple story. Insects would\nbe raised on otherwise unusable food waste. People would e at insects instead of\nchicken\, pork and beef\, transforming the food sys tem.\n\nThat is not how it has played out. In May 2026 the Stockholm Envir onment\nInstitute\, one of the world's most cited independent environmenta l research\ninstitutes\, reviewed the evidence. The commercial farms it ex amined were not\nrunning on waste and the insects are mainly being used as animal feed. Insect\nfarming has added another layer to the food system\, bringing trillions of new\nanimals into it.\n\nWhy now\n\nOver the next f ew months\, the Netherlands' largest insect farming company\,\nProtix\, is likely to seek a second round of rescue funding. The goal of this\nprojec t\, over the next six weeks\, is simple: that Protix does not get rescued\ ,\nthat it goes bust like one of its main competitors in France\, and that this\ndeals a significant blow to an industry trying to establish itself. We're\nfocusing primarily on the investors.\n\nPhase one is a short tour of the Netherlands with two meetups\, one in Utrecht\nand one in Amsterdam \, pulling together stakeholders and everyone interested\,\nalongside init ial attempts to engage the investors.\n\nPhase two\, a few weeks from now\ , will likely be a protest tour outside the\noffices of the key investors who aren't engaging\, bringing urgency\, awareness\nand broader participat ion.\n\nSince starting\, the level of excitement and interest has been sur prising. Who\nknew so many people care about insects!\n\nWho's leading\n\n Jonas Becker - ran broiler campaigns in Germany\, now Head of Invertebrate \nWelfare at ICAW.\n\nBen Newman - led Animal Rising in the UK and co-foun ded Plant-Based\nUniversities.\n\nWhat this meetup is for\n\nBuild a netwo rk and community of people who want to learn about or be part of\nstopping the spread of the insect industry.\n\nHear from people already doing this work\, discuss strategy\, and find ways to\ncontribute.\n\nHave a great t ime!\n\nThe plan for the evening\n\nIdeally everyone reads the current str ategy document beforehand so we're all on\nthe same page\n\n6:30pm - Arriv e\, meet people\, mingle.\n\n7:00pm - A 5–10 min talk from Jonas & Ben on the current project\, plus others\ndoing valuable insect work.\n\n7:20pm - Break-out groups: introduce yourself\, why you're here\, whether you want \nto contribute\, and what you could do to help make sure Protix doesn't g et\nanother round of investment.\n\n7:50pm - Groups share back their ideas and commitments.\n\n8:00pm - Quick round-up\, then drinks and mingling.\n \nWe'll also invite everyone to join the Netherlands Insects WhatsApp grou p which\nwill be highly focused conversations only about stopping the Neth erlands insect\nindustry.\n\nJonas and Ben will also be around Friday morn ing to meet any potential\nstakeholders. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/revolutionist-nights-stopping-the-insec t-industry GEO:52.3601403;4.8656923 LOCATION:OT301 - Overtoom 301\, 1054 HW Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:activism,amsterdam-west,community,food,plants,stories,talk,vonde lparkbuurt X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Open: 18:30 - 21:00 hrs
Tickets: € 0

I'm sure none of us imagined we'd be spend ing our evenings strategising about how to help insects, but here we are! Welcome to the cutting edge of activism.

​
Background

​I nsect farming boomed over the last two decades on a simple story. Insects would be raised on otherwise unusable food waste. People would eat insects instead of chicken, pork and beef, transforming the food system.

​ That is not how it has played out. In May 2026 the Stockholm Environment I nstitute, one of the world's most cited independent environmental research institutes, reviewed the evidence. The commercial farms it examined were not running on waste and the insects are mainly being used as animal feed. Insect farming has added another layer to the food system, bringing trill ions of new animals into it.

​Why now

​Over the next few mon ths, the Netherlands' largest insect farming company, Protix, is likely to seek a second round of rescue funding. The goal of this project, over the next six weeks, is simple: that Protix does not get rescued, tha t it goes bust like one of its main competitors in France, and that this d eals a significant blow to an industry trying to establish itself. We're f ocusing primarily on the investors.

​Phase one is a short tour of t he Netherlands with two meetups, one in Utrecht and one in Amsterdam, pull ing together stakeholders and everyone interested, alongside initial attem pts to engage the investors.

​Phase two, a few weeks from now, will likely be a protest tour outside the offices of the key investors who are n't engaging, bringing urgency, awareness and broader participation.

< p>​Since starting, the level of excitement and interest has been surprisin g. Who knew so many people care about insects!

​Who's leading

< p>​Jonas Becker - ran broiler campaigns in Germany, now Head of Invertebra te Welfare at ICAW.

​Ben Newman - led Animal Rising in the UK and c o-founded Plant-Based Universities.

​What this meetup is for

​Build a network and community of people who want to learn about or be pa rt of stopping the spread of the insect industry.

​Hear from people already doing this work, discuss strategy, and find ways to contribute.

​Have a great time!

​The plan for the evening

​Ide ally everyone reads the current strategy document beforehand so we're all on the same page

​6:30pm - Arrive, meet people, mingle.

​7:00pm - A 5–10 min talk from Jonas & Ben on the current project, pl us others doing valuable insect work.

​7:20pm - Break-out groups: i ntroduce yourself, why you're here, whether you want to contribute, and wh at you could do to help make sure Protix doesn't get another round of inve stment.

​7:50pm - Groups share back their ideas and commitments.

​8:00pm - Quick round-up, then drinks and mingling.

​We'll als o invite everyone to join the Netherlands Insects WhatsApp group which wil l be highly focused conversations only about stopping the Netherlands inse ct industry.

​Jonas and Ben will also be around Friday morning to m eet any potential stakeholders.

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