China’s cockroach farms have more than one purpose: some supply insects or ingredients to pharmaceutical manufacturers, while a high-profile project in Zhangqiu has used cockroaches to process kitchen waste and produce animal-feed material. These are different business models, and reports about one farm should not be treated as a description of every operation in China.
The “secret” label is a hook, not a reliable description of the whole industry. Public reporting has identified named farms and their operators, though historical reporting noted that some companies did not advertise cockroach-derived ingredients.
What are China’s cockroach farms for?
| Reported model | Input and output | Intended use | What the reporting establishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical supply | Farmed cockroaches or ingredients supplied to manufacturers | Ingredients for traditional-medicine products | Historical reporting describes sales to pharmaceutical manufacturers; it does not establish that a treatment is clinically effective or safe. |
| Food-waste processing | Sorted kitchen waste is fed to cockroaches, producing insect biomass | Animal-feed material | Reporting on the Zhangqiu project describes waste processing and feed use. It does not independently establish nutritional or environmental benefits. |
The pharmaceutical supply chain
Xinhua and CBS News reporting described cockroaches being supplied to pharmaceutical plants for traditional-medicine products. A 2013 Los Angeles Times feature also discussed medicinal and cosmetics uses and noted that some companies did not like to advertise the “secret ingredient.” That historical observation does not show that all farms are secret or establish how common the practice is today.
Traditional use and sales to manufacturers are not proof that a medicine works. The research available for this article did not identify suitable clinical evidence establishing the efficacy or safety of the reported cockroach-based medicines. Treat descriptions of medicinal use as reports about a supply chain and intended applications, not as medical advice or proof of a cure.
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The Zhangqiu food-waste project
Reporting on Li Yanrong’s operation in Zhangqiu, near Jinan, described a different purpose: using cockroaches to process restaurant kitchen waste, with the insects also used mainly for animal feed. Xinhua reported that the facility covered 6,300 square meters and said it housed about one billion cockroaches, which consumed roughly 50 tonnes of kitchen waste per day in 2018.
People’s Daily reported in 2019 that the project handled tens of tonnes of kitchen waste daily and described a planned capacity of 200 tonnes per day once the site was fully built. That was a stated future capacity, not evidence that the target was achieved. ABC News reported in 2020 that the project mainly used the insects for animal feed and attributed figures about the site’s rooms and insect population to its farm manager.
These are dated reports about one project, not a current census or proof that every Chinese cockroach farm processes waste. The sources also do not provide an independent lifecycle analysis comparing this method with landfilling, composting, or other waste-treatment options.
What happens to the insects?
Xinhua described a plan to dry and grind dead cockroaches into livestock feed, and ABC News later described animal feed as the Zhangqiu project’s main use. These reports support describing feed production as an intended or reported use at that project. They do not independently verify the nutritional value, safety, or broader environmental benefit of the resulting material.
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How the reported waste-processing operation worked
People’s Daily described kitchen waste being sorted and processed before it was sent into the cockroach-rearing areas. Xinhua reported automation for tasks including ventilation, feeding, and cleaning. The coverage describes an operator’s process and aims; it does not establish performance across the industry.
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Containment was another operator-reported concern. Xinhua said Li described multiple seals and water curtains at entrances, and said fish in a pond preyed on insects. These are reported measures, not independent proof of containment performance or a general safety standard for farms.
How big is the industry?
There is no current nationwide farm count or reliable national total in the research reviewed for this article. Published figures describe particular sites at particular times:
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- 2019: People’s Daily described about one billion cockroaches and tens of tonnes processed daily. It also reported a planned capacity of 200 tonnes per day when the site was fully built; that was a plan, not a confirmed achieved rate.
- 2020: ABC News attributed figures of four industrial hangars, 60 rooms, and 20 million cockroaches per room to farm manager Yin Diansong, and reported a total of about one billion insects.
These dated, reported figures should not be presented as current measurements or generalized to all farms.
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What the reports do—and do not—show
The reporting supports two distinct purposes: supplying pharmaceutical manufacturers and processing food waste into insect biomass intended for animal feed. It does not establish current market shares, profitability, nationwide prevalence, or the current status of the named operations.
It also does not establish clinical effectiveness or safety for cockroach-derived medicines, or independently demonstrate the net environmental impact of the waste-processing project. The operator’s stated goals and reported site figures should remain attributed to those reports rather than treated as independently verified outcomes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
Are all Chinese cockroach farms used to process food waste?
No. Reporting describes pharmaceutical supply as one purpose and the Zhangqiu project as a food-waste processing operation paired with animal-feed production. The Zhangqiu case should not be generalized to every farm.
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Are cockroaches from these farms used for medicine?
Historical Xinhua and CBS News reporting describes cockroaches supplied to pharmaceutical manufacturers for traditional-medicine products. That establishes a reported supply-chain use, not that the products are clinically effective or safe.
How much waste did the Zhangqiu farm process?
Xinhua reported about 50 tonnes per day in 2018. People’s Daily described tens of tonnes per day in 2019 and a planned capacity of 200 tonnes per day once the site was fully built. The planned capacity should not be mistaken for a verified achieved rate.
Does cockroach waste processing have proven environmental benefits?
The sources reviewed describe the project’s aims and reported operations, but no independent lifecycle assessment was identified to establish its net environmental impact compared with other waste-treatment methods.
Are cockroach-derived medicines proven to cure diseases?
The reporting identifies traditional-medicine supply and use, but the research reviewed for this article did not identify suitable clinical evidence establishing the efficacy or safety of the reported medicines. Do not treat traditional use or manufacturer supply as proof of a cure.
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The bottom line
China’s reported cockroach farms serve different purposes. Some supply pharmaceutical manufacturers, while the high-profile Zhangqiu project has been reported as processing kitchen waste and producing animal-feed material. Site figures, proposed products, and claimed benefits need to remain tied to their sources and dates; they do not establish a single national model, proven medical outcomes, or independently measured environmental benefits.
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