Innovation

Jaikla has developed its formula to produce high-nutrition pet foods from insects. Although insect-based pet food is not new, the company innovatively revising the business processes by using excess food from supermarkets as insect feed. The production processes are designed to be environmentally friendly. Additionally, Jaikla's production wastes are donated as fertilizers to farmers.

Jaikla's business model does not only benefit the company, but also extends the positive impacts to all its stakeholders.

Inspiration

Driven by the global food crisis and his love for dogs, founder Ittikorn Thepmani saw the transformative potential of insect farming. Recognizing insects as a sustainable, nutritious protein source, he envisioned a pet food that could tackle both environmental waste and pet health. However, Thepmani anticipated that the Thai market might initially be hesitant about insect-based pet food. To address this, Jaikla prioritized consumer education, forming collaborations with farmers, supermarkets, and other stakeholders to demonstrate the benefits of insect protein. As he put it, “If we can’t win over consumers here in Thailand, then how can we succeed internationally?” This early focus on building consumer trust and awareness has been crucial to Jaikla’s successful launch and continues to guide their growth in promoting good health and well being for both pets and the planet.

Strategically, Jaikla chose the pet food market over the human food sector to minimize cultural resistance to insect-based products. While certain cultures, like Thailand, are open to insect consumption, it remains a challenging concept for the mainstream human market. In contrast, Jaikla’s experience with dogs provided a clear understanding of pet owners’ priorities—safety, taste, and nutrition—qualities that pet owners care about more than the unconventional use of insects. By focusing on quality and nutrition over sustainability messaging, Jaikla has successfully built a loyal customer base. Over time, these customers, initially attracted by nutritional benefits, are beginning to see themselves as part of a broader environmental effort, recognizing sustainable actions beyond plastic reduction.

Overall impact

Jaikla is redefining the pet food industry by seamlessly merging profit and purpose. Capturing the rising trend of dedicated dog owners and their willingness to pay more for quality nutrition, Jaikla maximizes this opportunity. While insect-based pet food isn’t new, Jaikla’s approach is fresh and effective—raising insects on food waste to create nutrient-dense pet food and generating a true 'win-win-win' solution for supermarkets, consumers, and the environment. By sourcing surplus food from supermarkets at minimal to no cost, Jaikla lowers its expenses while offering supermarkets a sustainable waste disposal solution. Additionally, repurposing production waste as bio-fertilizer to farmers reinforces the circular economy. This partnership not only drives Jaikla’s business but also minimizes environmental impact and maximizes food utilization.

Jaikla’s use of insects as bio-converters is a strategic advantage: insects are a richer source of protein than traditional meats, providing an impressive nutritional boost to Jaikla’s pet food. Additionally, insect farming requires minimal land and water consumption.

By targeting dog owners and emphasizing quality and nutrition rather than placing heavy emphasis on sustainability, Jaikla is gradually building awareness to their role in environmental efforts, broadening their understanding of sustainable actions beyond narrow concepts.

Jaikla’s approach offers a compelling model of how businesses can profit from addressing global issues, while generating positive environmental impact. They create a cycle in which business efficiency and environmental responsibility coexist harmoniously, advancing practices for the pet food industry.

Business benefit

Jaikla is a pragmatic company addressing the food crisis while pursuing profitability in the pet food industry. Rather than aiming to be the most profitable firm, Jaikla focuses on creating positive societal impacts through sustainable practices and efficient processes. By optimizing the use of all resources, Jaikla has developed a strong cost advantage that enables effective navigation of the competitive landscape.

A key business strategy for Jaikla is forming win-win solutions. By providing free excess food disposal services and donating bio-fertilizer to partnered farmers, the company fosters strong relationships with supermarkets, essential suppliers and distribution channels. This collaboration allows Jaikla to acquire feed for their insects at little or no cost, enhancing cost-effectiveness. By converting food waste into insect feed, Jaikla reduces raw material costs and maximizes resource utilization.

Jaikla’s deep understanding of dog behaviors and owner needs gives it a competitive edge. Customer satisfaction is reflected in over 40% monthly return rates. Collaborating with leading universities and pet nutritionists ensures high product quality and continual improvement. This focus has driven remarkable growth, with a year-on-year increase of 200% and a quarter-on-quarter growth of 70%, largely fueled by word-of-mouth recommendations.

With strong scalability potential and growing global demand for pet ownership, Jaikla plans to expand into markets like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Supported by Thailand’s robust pet food ecosystem and solid partnerships with leading supermarkets, Jaikla can expand its production line domestically while establishing distribution units abroad. According to Thepmani, the company can increase its capacity fourfold within six months.

Jaikla’s Vision for the Future

Founder Thepmani's statement, “ตอนนี้ใจกล้าร้อนเงินมาก แต่โลกร้อนกว่าเราครับ” means that money is something Jaikla urgently needs, but global warming is far more urgent. This captures his mission-driven approach. Jaikla exemplifies purpose-driven entrepreneurship, demonstrating that businesses can thrive while fostering positive environmental change. Through its innovative use of insect-based protein and waste reduction, Jaikla sets new business practices for an industry where profit and purpose align to benefit people and the planet.

Social and environmental benefit

Jaikla is transforming the pet food industry with its insect-based products, designed to tackle excess food waste by using insects as natural "bio-converters," which serves as the foundation for Jaikla’s sustainable, health-focused pet food products. Here are the core elements driving Jaikla’s success:

● Innovative Use of Insects for Waste Processing: Transforming food waste to pet food not only reduces food waste but also minimizes environmental impact and conserves natural resources, supporting a more efficient and sustainable production cycle.

● Commitment to a Circular Economy: Jaikla provides over 200 kg of free fertilizer monthly to farmers cultivating organic vegetables for partner supermarkets, supporting sustainable agriculture and strengthening local communities. This dedication to circular economy principles maximizes resource efficiency and strengthens local communities.

● Consumer Education and Engagement: Jaikla engages customers by hosting outdoor events where pet owners can connect with their pets in natural settings. By fostering a love for nature, these gatherings subtly inspire attendees to become more mindful of environmental issues, promoting both community and brand loyalty as customers begin to see environmental stewardship as part of their shared values with Jaikla.

● Collaborations for Continuous Improvement: In partnership with institutions like Kasetsart University, Jaikla refines its product formulations to further minimize food waste and enhance quality. These collaborations underscore Jaikla’s commitment to sustainability and ensure that the company’s environmental goals remain central to its operations.

Jaikla’s innovative use of Black Soldier Fly as a primary protein source for pet food directly supports several SDGs by minimizing resource use and environmental impact.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

With a water footprint of just 23 liters per gram of protein, insects are far more water-efficient than traditional protein sources such as beef, which requires 112 liters per gram.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Insects provide the highest edible yield among common protein sources—almost twice that of traditional livestock. By using food waste as insect feed, Jaikla’s current capacity reduces up to 120 tons of food waste per month, with additional initiatives to convert production byproducts into bio-fertilizer.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Apart from lower CO₂ emission from using food waste, insects have the lowest global warming potential, producing just 14 kg CO₂ equivalent per gram of protein, compared to beef’s 88 kg. By opting for this low-emission protein, Jaikla helps mitigate climate change.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Requiring only 18 m² per gram of protein, Black Soldier Fly use about 11 times less land than beef, which requires 201 m². This reduction in land use supports SDG 15 by preserving ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and reducing habitat destruction associated with traditional livestock farming.

By embracing insect as a protein source, Jaikla not only reduces environmental impact but also contributes directly to sustainable development goals focused on responsible production, water conservation, climate action, and land stewardship.

Interview

Ittikorn Thepmani, Co-Founder