tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/eating-insects-5840/articlesEating insects – The Conversation2023-09-11T15:42:22Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2130862023-09-11T15:42:22Z2023-09-11T15:42:22ZEating insects: the UK seems much more reluctant than the EU to let this industry flourish<p>Like it or not, there are lots of good arguments for eating insects – both in animal feeds and on human plates. You can <a href="https://sefari.scot/blog/2023/06/14/insects-as-animal-feed-in-scotland">farm them</a> with much less land, water and feed than the likes of cows and sheep. Their <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-can-be-good-for-the-planet-europeans-should-eat-more-of-them-190042#:%7E:text=To%20produce%20a%20kilogram%20of,less%20agricultural%20land%20than%20beef.">greenhouse gas emissions</a> are significantly lower, while they <a href="https://www.eatgrub.co.uk/why-eat-insects/">are also high</a> in protein and essential minerals. </p>
<p>Eating insects makes all the more sense at a time when the global population is still expanding and <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/28251/global-meat-production/">demand for meat</a> is on the up and up. Yet particularly in the UK, the industry has been held back by regulators dragging their feet. </p>
<p>So what’s the problem and what needs to happen in the years ahead?</p>
<h2>The insect boom</h2>
<p>The biggest market in the west at present is in processed insect products like crickets, black soldier flies and mealworms for animal feeds. As well as the nutritional and environmental benefits, they <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523592/">also make</a> farm animals bulkier pound for pound than traditional feeds like soya. Admittedly, soya feed is <a href="https://betterorigin.co.uk/2021/09/soy-feed-vs-insect-feed-for-poultry-which-one-is-better/#:%7E:text=Is%20soy%20feed%20cheaper%20than,times%20at%20an%20affordable%20price.">currently cheaper</a>, though not necessarily when you consider hidden costs like deforestation and food miles. </p>
<p>The global market for insect protein was worth around US$540 million (about £432 million) in 2022. According to <a href="https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-insect-protein-market">one recent forecast</a> it will hit US$1.4 billion by 2029, with <a href="https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/insect-protein-market">Europe making up</a> around a fifth of the market. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148059/forecast-of-insect-protein-production-in-europe-food-and-feed/">Europe produced</a> fewer than 2,000 metric tons of insect protein in 2018, but is expected to reach a staggering 1.2 million tons by 2025, with <a href="https://meticulousblog.org/top-10-companies-in-edible-insects-market/">France’s Ynsect</a> having set up the largest insect farm in the world. This is on the back of EU rule changes that have made it possible for farmers to include insects in feeds for <a href="https://ipiff.org/insects-eu-legislation/">pigs, poultry</a> and <a href="https://www.michelmores.com/agriculture-insight/insect-protein-animal-feed/">fish farms</a>. </p>
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<p>The UK makes up nearly one tenth of European demand for insect protein, at least according to <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4650667/u-k-edible-insect-and-insect-protein-market">2018 data</a> (I haven’t been able to source anything more recent). The UK rules for using insects in animal feeds are mainly based on EU regulations, but we’ve been seeing some divergence since Brexit that could well hinder the growth of the market. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.michelmores.com/agriculture-insight/insect-protein-animal-feed/">In 2017</a> the EU and UK permitted seven species of insect to be used as feeds in fish farms for the first time. These included black soldier flies, common houseflies and several species of mealworms and crickets. Black soldier flies and to a lesser extent yellow mealworms are now being farmed in various locations in the UK, from <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/cricket-farm-london-ontario-1.6506606">London</a> to <a href="https://www.betabugs.uk/">Edinburgh</a>. </p>
<p>Yet more recent EU changes have not been mirrored in the UK. Silkworms were added to the EU list <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R1925">in 2021</a>, but are not yet permitted in the UK. The <a href="https://ipiff.org/insects-eu-legislation/">EU move</a> the same year to permit processed insect protein to be fed to pigs and poultry intended for human consumption has <a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/research/the-future-of-animal-feed-animal-by-products-and-insects">not been followed</a> in the UK either. This means that farmers’ only option if they want to use insects is to feed live ones to their animals. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-06/The_future_of_feed_July_2021.pdf">According to</a> the World Wildlife Fund For Nature (WWF), deregulating the UK market could be transformational. UK farms used just 21,000 tons of insect meal in 2021 for fish farms, pigs and poultry, nearly 6,000 tons of which was from insects reared in the UK. In contrast, livestock alone are fed <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/future_of_feed_full_report.pdf">around 2.5 million tons</a> of soya each year. </p>
<p>With deregulation, the WWF thinks that demand for insect protein by 2050 could be well over 500,000 tons, with half supplied within the country. This would cut British reliance on soybean imports by about 20%, reducing deforestation in places like Latin America. It would also potentially create job opportunities in the UK. </p>
<h2>My research</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://sefari.scot/blog/2023/06/14/insects-as-animal-feed-in-scotland">my recent research</a> I talked to ten insect-related experts in the UK about the state of play, including farmers, feed producers and academic researchers. In particular, feeding live insects to animals is not appealing to many farmers. It’s more inconvenient and time-consuming, and costs more because farmers have to purchase insect eggs or larvae – plus live insects have a short shelf-life compared to traditional animal feeds. </p>
<p>In relation to the costs involved in insect farms, some interviewees said the controlled environments required in the UK were expensive in terms of energy requirements and labour. Others said insect production could be energy efficient with the right equipment. Interviewees also reported it is hard to find information on insect farming, the latest regulations and so on. </p>
<p>In addition, interviewees saw a need to educate both consumers and farmers. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an uphill struggle. In Scotland, for instance, <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/10.3920/JIFF2016.0032">one 2017 study</a> of 180 people found that over 80% were more than happy for insects to be included in feeds for salmon. </p>
<p>Finally, interviews highlighted some under-researched areas, such as <a href="https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/files/eurogroupforanimals/2023-03/The_future_of_insect_farming__where%E2%80%99s_the_catch__final_ver.pdf">the welfare</a> of the insects being farmed and the effect on the animals being fed them. For instance, sceptics question whether rearing many thousands of insects on waste <a href="https://thehumaneleague.org.uk/article/farmed-insects-animal-feed-criticism#:%7E:text=However%2C%20there%20are%20major%20concerns,a%20problem%2C%20not%20a%20solution.">might introduce</a> new pathogens into the food chain.</p>
<p>Another area needing further exploration is feeding insect protein to cows and sheep. <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2022.x006">Some say</a> this would be completely unworkable for the digestive systems of herbivores, though it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8471967/">has been argued</a> that it could help reduce the amount of methane they produce. </p>
<h2>The opportunity</h2>
<p>Despite the challenges, my interviewees saw the potential for insects to help with the circular economy by rearing them <a href="https://www.tescoplc.com/blog/exploring-the-use-of-insects-as-an-alternative-protein-for-animal-feed">on food waste</a>. Other positives included the fact that the gut microbiome of black soldier-fly larvae can be beneficial to hens’ health. </p>
<p>There was also some discussion about the potential to broaden into other markets. For instance, insect excrement (frass) can be used <a href="https://www.mannainsect.com/frass-as-a-business-opportunity/">as a premium fertiliser</a>. There is also potential in areas such as pet foods and human protein supplements. </p>
<p>As for humans eating insects, <a href="https://www.just-food.com/features/insect-food-makers-believe-consumers-are-getting-the-bug/#:%7E:text=A%202022%20One%20Poll%20survey,more%20widely%20into%20food%20products.">many people are open</a> to the idea, but the law has been somewhat unclear since Brexit. The Food Standards Agency has <a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/our-work/consultation-on-transitional-arrangements-for-edible-insects-in-great-britain-summary-of-stakeholder-responses">temporarily permitted</a> insects to be sold for human consumption pending a more long-term decision due by December. A green light would be a very useful step forward and bring the UK into line with the EU.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213086/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pattanapong Tiwasing receives funding from SEFARI (Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes). </span></em></p>The UK and EU moved in lockstep over edible insect regulation until Brexit, but that has changed in recent years.Pattanapong Tiwasing, Lecturer in Data Analytics and Economics, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2018912023-03-16T09:30:23Z2023-03-16T09:30:23ZAre kids ready to eat insects?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515476/original/file-20230315-24-6kbe67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C82%2C4215%2C2429&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are you ready to eat insects? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lightspring/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Producing meat pollutes and requires a lot of space and resources (water, grains…). <a href="https://theconversation.com/pourquoi-manger-des-insectes-est-bon-pour-nous-et-pour-la-planete-117732">To protect the planet</a>, we must therefore find new sources of protein. One of the solutions is to replace, at least partially, <a href="https://theconversation.com/manger-des-insectes-pour-reconcilier-lhumain-et-la-nature-145679">meat by insects</a>.</p>
<p>The problem is that <a href="https://theconversation.com/les-insectes-seront-ils-reellement-la-nourriture-du-futur-183868">insects</a>, as a food, are rejected by Europeans and North Americans as inedible, dirty and disgusting. Yet, 2 billion humans (in Asia, Africa, South America) eat them regularly. The most commonly consumed in the world are beetles such as beetles, mainly in larval form (like the mealworm), lepidopterans (caterpillars) and hymenopterans (bees, wasps and ants).</p>
<p>Insects are interesting because they pollute less and require less water and food than cows or pigs. They also need less space to be raised and are rich in protein.</p>
<p>For a few years, researchers have been studying how to get adults in the West to accept insects, but few children. So we confronted children with edible insects to study their reactions.</p>
<h2>Bugs with ketchup or chocolate?</h2>
<p>Children may indeed play an important role in the introduction of entomophagy (eating insects) in a country like France for three reasons.</p>
<p>First, eating habits within a culture evolve over generations, so that young consumers may adopt new practices that they will then pass on to their children.</p>
<p>Second, childhood is a very important period, as food preferences learned early in life persist into adulthood. Finally, children also influence what their family and friends eat. By consuming insects themselves, they may inspire them to eat insects.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JCM-12-2020-4289/full/html#institutionlist">We interviewed 43 French children</a> between the ages of 8 and 13 about their thoughts on eating insects. In a first study, they were asked to describe a child who eats insects (what he or she looks like, where he or she lives, etc.), and then to express how they felt about pictures of whole insects (grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms), ketchup- or chocolate-flavoured insects, shortbread cheese, and a chocolate cake containing powdered insects.</p>
<p>In a second study, children were interviewed in groups of two or three. This time we showed them real dried mealworms and a plain cake containing powdered mealworms. They also watched excerpts from the TV show <em>Top Chef</em> in which crickets and ants were cooked and eaten.</p>
<h2>Children are curious but need to be reassured</h2>
<p>The results of these studies show first of all that children think, like adults, that insects are not edible in our culture. According to them, insect eaters live in distant countries or do so to survive. Otherwise, eating insects is associated with filth or disgusting challenges on shows like <em>Fort Boyard</em> or <em>Koh-Lanta</em>.</p>
<p>Before being exposed to insects in the study, most children spontaneously indicate that they would refuse to eat them because they are disgusted by them. They imagine an unpleasant taste and sensation in their mouth. When we show them insects in pictures or in real life, they are more attracted to small insects like mealworms, which are easier to swallow than crickets or grasshoppers.</p>
<p>Insects flavoured with ketchup or chocolate are a little more accepted because these are tastes they know and like. But the foods they prefer are those in which the insect is hidden, such as cake, because it looks like a “normal cake.”</p>
<p>Another important result is that the children change their attitude during the study. Observing, handling and smelling real dried mealworms reduces their disgust and arouses their curiosity.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the children interviewed in small groups of two or three influenced each other. Some finally agreed to eat insect cake because their friends had tasted it. The children were also more willing to taste whole insects after watching the TV show <em>Top Chef</em> with well-cooked insects.</p>
<p>This study shows that children in France can finally get used to the idea of eating insects quite quickly. They are disgusted by whole insects but curious about them. Their interest may increase if insects are associated with familiar tastes or foods, and if they are eaten in a reassuring situation, such as with family, or in a fun situation, such as during a challenge with friends.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201891/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Céline Gallen was financed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche in the framework of the CRI-KEE project (Consumption and Representations of Insects - Knowledge on their Edibility in Europe) for this study. The complete study was published in the Journal of Consumer Marketing.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier received funding from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche for this study.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Valérie Hémar-Nicolas has received funding from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche for this study.</span></em></p>To limit our impact on the planet, one solution could be to replace meat with insects. Children could set an example.Céline Gallen, Professeur des Universités en Sciences de Gestion, IAE Nantes, NANTES Université, Université de NantesGaëlle Pantin-Sohier, Professeur des universités en science de gestion, Université d'AngersValérie Hémar-Nicolas, Professeure des universités en sciences de gestion et du management - Consommation alimentaire et durabilité, Université Paris-SaclayLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1900422022-09-12T16:41:25Z2022-09-12T16:41:25ZEating insects can be good for the planet – Europeans should eat more of them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483233/original/file-20220907-12-8zpp52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Farmed insects are common in many parts of the world today.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/farmed-crickets-food-asian-1962297640">nippich somsaard/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Insects are a nutritious food source that can be produced more sustainably than conventional livestock. While eating insects is common in many world regions, in western cultures it is more likely met with disgust. </p>
<p>The consumption of insects has slowly increased as the benefits become <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210420-the-protein-rich-superfood-most-%20europeans-wont-eat">widely discussed</a>. More than 2,000 edible species have been identified. But would incorporating insects into our diets really reduce the environmental footprint of food production, and can this be achieved?</p>
<p>Insects are high in fat, protein and nutrients. This varies between species and lifecycle stage, however the protein content of insects is frequently <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">40%-60%</a>. Insects also provide all of the essential amino acids required for human nutrition. </p>
<p>Adult crickets are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">65%</a> protein by weight, which is higher than both beef (<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/746760/nutrients">23%</a>) and tofu (<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172476/nutrients">8%</a>). Insects are also high in minerals such as copper, iron and magnesium. It is therefore of no surprise that insects are consumed by humans in <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419">many world regions</a> today.</p>
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<img alt="A sale of a portion of insects at a market stall in front of multiple trays of edible insects." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483040/original/file-20220906-12-38msdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Edible insects sold at a market in Thailand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/focus-on-fried-insect-streetfood-unidentify-1571142052">Tanawat Chantradilokrat/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Insects are far more efficient at converting their feed into energy than conventional livestock. Adult crickets and mealworm larvae need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2017.04.001">5–10 times</a> less feed than cattle to produce the same weight gain. Insects are also cold-blooded, so do not use their metabolism to heat or cool themselves, further reducing energy and food use. </p>
<p>A larger proportion of the animal can also be eaten compared with conventional livestock. Only <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i3461e/i3461e.pdf">45%</a> of the cattle and <a href="https://www.fao.org/publications/card/en/c/5b311af3-e5c4-5fc3-95d2-7200bf77061e/">55%</a> of a chicken is consumed on average. For insects, the whole larva and <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">80%</a> of an adult cricket can be eaten. Insects also reproduce more rapidly than vertebrates, with many generations possible in a year.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A swarm of insects being farmed in a large enclosure." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483231/original/file-20220907-14-n40bjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Insect cultivation requires a fraction of the land, energy and water that conventional livestock farming demands.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/edible-locusts-cultivated-asia-2033120873">outwalk/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>To provide the same nutritional value, insect cultivation therefore uses a fraction of the land, energy and water used for conventional livestock farming. </p>
<p>To produce a kilogram of protein, mealworm larvae emit <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051145">14kg of CO₂eq</a>, far less than the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216">500kg of CO₂eq</a> emitted on average in beef production. To produce the same amount of protein, mealworm larvae cultivation uses <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912417300056?via%3Dihub">70 times less agricultural land</a> than beef.</p>
<h2>Plant-based foods should not be ignored</h2>
<p>All food production has environmental costs. However, there is substantial variation within this. Beef, for example, produces <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216">100 times</a> more greenhouse gas emissions than pea production. </p>
<p>Insect cultivation typically falls between these extremes. While it can be less environmentally damaging than the production of meat, it has a higher footprint than most plant-based foods. Per kilogram of protein, pea production emits only <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216">4kg of CO₂eq</a>, while tofu requires roughly <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912417300056?via%3Dihub">half the agricultural land</a> needed for insect cultivation. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Peas being processed in a large tray." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483244/original/file-20220907-12-kzuqe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The environmental footprint of plant-based foods is often lower than for edible insect cultivation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/working-process-production-green-peas-on-565877839">Max Maier/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Whether insects are a climate-friendly (or -friendlier) food will depend on what the insect protein replaces. If insect-based foods are used to substitute conventional meat, this could provide important gains. However, large gains could also be achieved if plant-based alternatives are adopted.</p>
<p>Dietary changes can radically alter the environmental footprint of consumers. The average diet in the US uses <a href="https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/human-appropriation-of-land-for-food-the-role-of-diet">more than 10 times</a> more land per person than the average Indian diet, primarily due to the types of food consumed. </p>
<h2>Using insects in a circular food system</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i2697e/i2697e.pdf">1.3 billion tonnes</a> of food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. Another area in which insects could prove valuable is in the production of food or animal feed from <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/5/3/81">food by-products or food waste</a>. Black soldier flies reared on by-products such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-019-0047-7">almond hulls</a> can be converted into feed for livestock or farmed seafood. </p>
<p>However, feeding insects <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13165-020-00290-7">organic by-products</a> requires careful management to avoid risks of chemical and microbial contamination. Several insect species are able to <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/8/8/288">digest certain contaminants</a>, but there is potential for harmful bioaccumulation. Manure and catering waste are therefore <a href="https://ipiff.org/insects-eu-legislation/">prohibited</a> as a feed for farmed insects in Europe.</p>
<h2>Will Europeans eat more insects?</h2>
<p>The market for edible insects in Europe and America is growing. Despite only <a href="https://www.beuc.eu/sites/default/files/publications/beuc-x-2020-042_consumers_and_the_transition_to_sustainable_food.pdf">10.3% of Europeans</a> stating they would be willing to replace meat with insects, the edible insect market is projected to reach <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5233747/edible-insects-market-by-product-whole-insect">US$4.63bn (£3.36bn) by 2027</a>. </p>
<p>The acceptability of foods can change over time. Tomatoes were regarded as poisonous in Britain and dismissed for over 200 years. Lobsters, now an expensive delicacy, were formerly so abundant in the US that they were served to workers and prisoners and were commonly used as fertiliser and fish bait. </p>
<p>Lobster only became fashionable to eat after the mid-18th century. Since then its popularity has surged, with the global lobster market expected to reach <a href="https://www.imarcgroup.com/lobster-market#:%7E:text=The%20global%20lobster%20market%20reached,9.94%25%20during%202022%2D2027.">US$11.1bn</a> (£9.7bn) by 2027.</p>
<p>Insect consumption in Europe may also become normalised. Western consumers are showing an increasing willingness to consume <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329315001044">processed insect-based foods</a>. Incorporating insects into familiar food items such as flour represents one way of improving their acceptance.</p>
<p>Edible insects are not the sole solution to achieve a more sustainable food system. However, they do provide a nutritious and more sustainable substitute to conventional meat. Their production, flexibility and diversity means they are likely to play an increasing part in a more circular food system.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190042/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Eating insects can carry a much lower environmental footprint than conventional meat. Should western cultures be incorporating more of them into their diets?Peter Alexander, Senior lecturer in Global Food Security, The University of EdinburghLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1762232022-06-28T11:57:43Z2022-06-28T11:57:43ZFeeding insects to cattle could make meat and milk production more sustainable<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471183/original/file-20220627-26-73hjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C0%2C5582%2C3715&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cows eating hay and soy-based feed.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/fEhGSn">United Soybean Board/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world’s population is growing, and so is the challenge of feeding everyone. Current projections indicate that by 2050, global food demand could increase by <a href="https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4474en">59%-98% above current levels</a>. In particular, there will be increased demand for high-quality protein foods, such as meat and dairy products. </p>
<p>Livestock producers in the U.S. and other exporting countries are looking for ways to increase their output while also being sensitive to the environmental impacts of agricultural production. One important leverage point is finding ingredients for animal feed that can substitute for grains, freeing more farmland to grow crops for human consumption.</p>
<p>Cattle are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txy086">natural upcyclers</a>: Their specialized digestive systems allow them to convert low-quality sources of nutrients that humans cannot digest, such as grass and hay, into <a href="https://animalscience.tamu.edu/2020/02/10/beefs-greatest-talent-is-protein-upcycling/">high-quality protein foods like meat and milk</a> that meet human nutritional requirements. But when the protein content of grass and hay becomes too low, typically in winter, producers feed their animals an additional protein source – often soybean meal.
This strategy helps cattle grow, but it also drives up the cost of meat and leaves less farmland to grow crops for human consumption. </p>
<p>Growing grains also has environmental impacts: For example, large-scale soybean production is a driver of <a href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/2016-01-28-agricultural-commodities-brack-glover-wellesley.pdf">deforestation in the Amazon</a>. For all of these reasons, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hwgBLNAAAAAJ&hl=en">our laboratory</a> is working to identify alternative, novel protein sources for cattle. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wFz0gF9i5a0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Insect farming is a growing industry, producing alternative protein sources for human and animal feed.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Black soldier fly larvae</h2>
<p>An <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/insect-farming">insect farming industry</a> is emerging rapidly across the globe. Producers are growing insects for animal feed because of their nutritional profile and ability to grow quickly. Data also suggests that feeding insects to livestock <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.244">has a smaller environmental footprint</a> than conventional feed crops such as soybean meal. </p>
<p>Among thousands of edible insect species, one that’s attracting attention is the black soldier fly (<em>Hermetia illucens</em>). In their larval form, black soldier flies <a href="https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/10911/september-cl-2018.pdf">are 45% protein and 35% fat</a>. They can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100091">fed efficiently on wastes</a> from many industries, such as pre-consumer food waste. The larvae can be raised on a large scale in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2021/12/31/worlds-largest-insect-protein-farm-signals-future-of-food-supply/?sh=16a9ed114606can%20be%20raised%20easily%20on%20a%20large%20scale">factory-sized facilities</a> and are shelf-stable after they are dried.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A graduate student with cupped hands filled with small brown larval pods." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=709&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=709&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=709&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471241/original/file-20220627-22-yz8asg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Texas State University graduate student Kayra Tasci holds dried black soldier fly larvae.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Merritt Drewery</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most adults in the U.S. aren’t ready to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104119">put black soldier fly larvae on their plates</a> but are much more willing to consume meat from livestock that are fed black soldier fly larvae. This has sparked research into using black soldier fly larvae as livestock feed. </p>
<h2>Already approved for other livestock</h2>
<p>Extensive research has shown that black soldier fly larvae can be fed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2015.0071">chickens</a>, <a href="http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100283">pigs</a> and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2012.08.041">fish</a> as a replacement for conventional protein feeds such as soybean meal and fish meal. The <a href="https://www.aafco.org/">American Association of Feed Control Officials</a>, whose members regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds in the U.S., has <a href="https://www.aafco.org/Portals/0/SiteContent/Meetings/Annual/2021/Committee-Reports/Ingredient_Definitions_Minutes_2021_Midyear.pdf">approved the larvae as feed</a> for poultry, pigs and certain fish. </p>
<p>So far, however, there has been scant research on feeding black soldier fly larvae to cattle. This is important for several reasons. First, <a href="https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/h702q636h?locale=en">more than 14 million cattle and calves are fed grain or feed</a> in the U.S. Second, cattle’s specialized digestive system may allow them to utilize black soldier fly larvae as feed more efficiently than other livestock. </p>
<h2>Promising results in cattle</h2>
<p>Early in 2022, our laboratory published results from the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txac018">first trial of feeding black soldier fly larvae to cattle</a>. We used cattle that had been surgically fitted with small, porthole-like devices called cannulas, which allowed us to study and analyze the animals’ rumens – the portion of their stomach that is primarily responsible for converting fiber feeds, such as grass and hay, into energy that they can use. </p>
<p>Cannulation is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11071870">widely used to study digestion in cattle, sheep and goats</a>, including the amount of methane they burp, which contributes to climate change. The procedure is carried out by veterinary professionals following strict protocols to protect the animals’ well-being. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black steer with a donut-sized ring implanted in its side." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471203/original/file-20220627-14-wk5675.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A steer fitted with a cannula that allows scientists to study digestion in its rumen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Merritt Drewery</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In our study, the cattle consumed a base diet of hay plus a protein supplement based on either black soldier fly larvae or conventional cattle industry protein feeds. We know that feeding cows a protein supplement along with grass or hay <a href="https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2014-7795">increases the amount of grass and hay they consume</a>, so we hoped the insect-based supplement would have the same effect. </p>
<p>That was exactly what we observed: The insect-based protein supplement increased animals’ hay intake and digestion similarly to the conventional protein supplement. This indicates that black soldier fly larvae have potential as an alternative protein supplement for cattle. </p>
<h2>Costs and byproducts</h2>
<p>We have since conducted three additional trials evaluating black soldier fly larvae in cattle, including <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANIFA/bulletins/2cf5474">two funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>. We are especially interested in feeding cattle larvae that have had their fat removed. Data suggest that the fat can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2010.11.016">converted to biodiesel</a>, yielding two sustainable products from black soldier flies. </p>
<p>We are also studying how consuming the larvae will affect methane-producing microbes that live in cattle’s stomachs. If our current research on this question, which is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2023, indicates that consuming black soldier fly larvae can reduce the amount of methane cows produce, we hope it will motivate regulators to approve the larvae as cattle feed. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A researcher holding a gauge samples vials of fluid." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471205/original/file-20220627-12-pkfyr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Texas State University student Brady Williams tests the pH of fluid from the rumens of cattle fed black soldier fly larvae.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Merritt Drewery</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Economics also matter. How much will beef and dairy cattle producers pay for insect-based feed, and can the insects be raised at that price point? To begin answering these questions, we conducted an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2021.0166">economic analysis of black soldier fly larvae</a> for the U.S. cattle industry, also published early in 2022. </p>
<p>We found that the larvae would be priced slightly higher than current protein sources normally fed to cattle, including soybean meal. This higher price reflects the superior nutritional profile of black soldier fly larvae. However, it is not yet known if the insect farming industry can grow black soldier fly larvae at this price point, or if cattle producers would pay it. </p>
<p>The global market for edible insects is <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-edible-insects-market-2021-to-2027---environmental-benefits-is-driving-growth-301206304.html">growing quickly</a>, and advocates contend that using insects as ingredients can make <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/why-we-need-to-give-insects-the-role-they-deserve-in-our-food-systems/">human and animal food more sustainable</a>. In my view, the cattle feeding industry is an ideal market, and I hope to see further research that engages both insect and cattle producers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Merritt Drewery receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. </span></em></p>Feeding insects instead of grain to animals is an inexpensive, sustainable way to increase the world food supply. An animal scientist explains what’s involved in developing insect feed for cattle.Merritt Drewery, Assistant Professor of Animal Science, Texas State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735952022-01-25T19:02:55Z2022-01-25T19:02:55ZWe asked hundreds of Aussies whether they’d eat insects, and most said yes – so what’s holding people back?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441905/original/file-20220121-8990-itwz9n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=39%2C15%2C5264%2C2966&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Insects are sustainable, nutritious and delicious. They’re eaten by more than two billion people worldwide, mostly in the tropics, and have been a staple in Indigenous Australians’ diets for tens of thousands of years. </p>
<p>Yet eating insects isn’t mainstream in Australia. Why? </p>
<p>We surveyed 601 Australians on their experience with, and attitude towards, edible insects. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566632100739X">Our findings</a> offer insight into which factors might convince people to add edible insects to their diet.</p>
<p>Importantly, we found Australians are not deterred by the “ick” factor of eating insects, and would be willing to try them as a protein alternative if not for a “lack of opportunity”.</p>
<p>Of the adults we surveyed, 56.2% reported they would be “likely” to eat insects in the future (a much more promising result than that from a recent <a href="https://www.beuc.eu/publications/beuc-x-2020-042_consumers_and_the_transition_to_sustainable_food.pdf">European Union survey</a>) – and this figure increased to 82.2% among those who had already tried them.</p>
<h2>Missed opportunities</h2>
<p>Although insects don’t commonly feature on Aussie menus, there are <a href="https://research.csiro.au/edibleinsects/wp-content/uploads/sites/347/2021/04/CSIRO-Edible-Insect-Roadmap.pdf">60 insect species</a> which have been recorded as a traditional food source for Indigenous Australians, including witjuti grubs, bogong moths and honey pot ants.</p>
<p>The ancient Romans and Greeks <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/eating-bugs-cultural-cuisine#">ate insects</a>, too. It’s <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/emma_bryce_should_we_eat_bugs/transcript?language=en">thought Westernised countries</a> may have lost their taste for edible insects during the shift from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture and urbanisation. </p>
<p>Insects went from fulfilling the role of a staple food to being pests that destroy crops, and this may have prompted a shift in our attitudes towards eating them. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996917307160?casa_token=f90svpCrhAEAAAAA:QxhZeguNbgpWhI8pt9FVmnCzL6Vllkf9IOf-MGwMH77gKsJnd-kX5M3caq0EaoRMJQCdnGu7vw4">Research conducted</a> with older Australians has revealed a tendency to view the practise as disgusting and incompatible with their personal beliefs, raising concern there may be reluctance for edible insects to return to being a normalised and viable protein alternative.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441906/original/file-20220121-8785-uyd4dr.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The edible witjuti grub is the larva of the large cossid wood moth (Endoxyla leucomochla), native to Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>As it turns out, most people aren’t that squeamish</h2>
<p>But our research (mainly with participants aged 25 to 44 years) shows Aussies have begun to adopt a more positive outlook towards insect-based foods. </p>
<p>Of those surveyed, 35% had previously tried insects, most commonly crickets and grasshoppers. And people who had already tried them were also more open to eating them again, which suggests a “taste” for bugs can be developed. Of those who hadn’t tried insects, only 16% reported “disgust” was holding them back.</p>
<p>This paradigm shift may be linked to people expressing more concern for the environmental cost of their food, and a greater interest in adopting healthy dietary habits. </p>
<p>Participants also reported they would be willing to eat insect-based products if it was easier to find out how such foods are beneficial, both from a nutrition and sustainability standpoint.</p>
<p>They said endorsements from governing bodies, as well as more prominence of edible insects in mainstream media, would boost their interest in eating insects – as well as “try before you buy” promotions. </p>
<p>For those willing to give insects a go, insect-based flours (such as bread and biscuits), chocolate-coated ants and crickets were the top choices. Not all species were received the same way, however, with moths and fly larvae not generating such a buzz.</p>
<p>Still, the shift towards a willingness to try insects is promising for Australia’s <a href="https://www.fial.com.au/blogs/post/protein-market-size-of-the-prize-analysis-for-australia">growing edible</a> insect market.</p>
<h2>Embracing future foods</h2>
<p>With the global population still growing, we will need alternative sources of protein to sustainably meet future food production requirements.</p>
<p>The demand for protein is on the rise and, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, will have to <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/i6583e/i6583e.pdf">increase by 76%</a> by 2050. But production is restricted due to Earth’s finite resources. </p>
<p>Edible insects have potential as an important future food, offering a nutritious protein source that’s more sustainable to produce – using less land, energy and water.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173595/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Insects have long been identified as a protein-rich and nutritious food, and are eaten across various cultures outside the West – including across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.Jessica Danaher, Lecturer in Nutrition, RMIT UniversityLisa Newman, Lecturer in Nutrition, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1702742021-12-29T21:32:51Z2021-12-29T21:32:51ZWhy has my home been overrun by pantry moths and how do I get rid of them? An expert explains<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428971/original/file-20211028-23-142vqgc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C18%2C6221%2C4122&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Has your home recently been overrun by tiny grey moths, flapping erratically around your kitchen? Spotted some suspicious webs in a cereal box? You might be sharing your dried food with pantry moths (<em>Plodia interpunctella</em>). </p>
<p>Although several species of moth can live and breed in our homes, the pantry moth (also known as the “Indian meal moth”) is one of the <a href="https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/pest-insects/stored-food-insects?page=0%2C1#:%7E:text=There%20are%20three%20major%20storage,warehouse%20moth%20(Ephestia%20cautella).&text=The%20moth%20lays%20eggs%20on,takes%20one%20to%20three%20months.">most common</a> unwanted moth-guests.</p>
<p>Pantry moths are found on <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/124184-Plodia-interpunctella">every continent</a> except Antarctica. They feed on rice, grains, flour, pasta, cereals, dried fruits, spices, seeds, nuts and other dried food. Their fondness for dried foods makes them a major pest in food storage facilities.</p>
<p>So how did they get in your house – and what can you do to get rid of them?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-tiny-ants-have-invaded-your-house-and-what-to-do-about-it-132092">Why tiny ants have invaded your house, and what to do about it</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>‘Large amounts of silk webbing and faeces’</h2>
<p>Like other moths, pantry moths have four distinct life stages: egg, caterpillar, pupae and adult. </p>
<p>The first sign of a pantry moth infestation is often the sight of adult moths flying in an erratic, zig-zag path around our kitchens. </p>
<p>Pantry moth adults have grey-coloured wings with bronze or tan <a href="http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/pyra/interpunctella.html">bands near the wing tips</a>. </p>
<p>Although they can be annoying, adult moths do not feed at all. The trouble arises when female moths lay their eggs in or around our food. The tiny eggs hatch into barely visible cream-coloured caterpillars small enough to crawl into poorly sealed food containers. There, they begin to feed. </p>
<p>As they grow, caterpillars produce large amounts of silk webbing and faeces, both of which can contaminate food.</p>
<p>Once a caterpillar reaches its full size, it leaves the food in search of a safe space to make a cocoon, usually a crack, container lid, crevice or corner. Sometimes they turn up in the hinges of a pantry door.</p>
<p>A few weeks later, an adult moth emerges from the cocoon, ready to start the cycle again.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pile of almonds is seen with thin, silky webbing over it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428972/original/file-20211028-27-12glaz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Have you found suspicious webbing on your dried foods?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How did pantry moths get in my house? And why are they more common lately?</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, it’s likely you brought them home yourself. Although pantry moths can enter via doors and windows, most infestations probably start when we inadvertently bring home eggs and caterpillars in our dried foods. </p>
<p>Kitchens full of unsealed containers and spilled food create an irresistible smorgasbord for female moths looking for the ideal place to lay eggs. </p>
<p>Like many insects, pantry moths <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022474X99000399">develop more quickly</a> at warmer temperatures. </p>
<p>At warmer temperatures, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-tropical-insect-science/article/abs/some-physical-and-biological-factors-affecting-oviposition-by-plodia-interpunctella-hubner-lepidoptera-phycitidae/788E52C0C484BFB79405594A85AF580B">females also lay more eggs</a> and caterpillars are more likely to survive to adulthood. </p>
<p>But prolonged exposure to temperatures <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022474X97000568">above 40°C</a> are lethal to eggs and caterpillars. </p>
<p>While pantry moths can be found at any time of the year, the warm temperatures of late spring and early summer are often perfect for supporting rapid population growth.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428981/original/file-20211028-19-1apbci4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most infestations probably start when we inadvertently bring home eggs and caterpillars in our dried foods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How do I get rid of pantry moths?</h2>
<p>First, eliminate their sources of food. Dry goods should be stored in sealed, airtight containers with tight-fitting lids. </p>
<p>To prevent eggs and caterpillars from hitchhiking in on purchases, place dried foods in the freezer for three to four days; this should kill any eggs and caterpillars that may be present.</p>
<p>If you already have an infestation, carefully inspect all potential food sources including spices, cereals, grains, dry pet foods, pasta, seeds, nuts, tea, dried flowers and dried fruit.</p>
<p>Pantry moth caterpillars are hard to see; look for the silken webbing they produce, which can cause food grains to clump together. These webbed clumps are often more conspicuous than the caterpillars themselves.</p>
<p>Infested foods should either be discarded or placed in the freezer for three to four days to kill eggs and caterpillars.</p>
<p>Clean up and discard any spilled foods on shelves, under toasters or behind storage containers. Even small amounts of food can support thriving caterpillar populations.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man looks in his kitchen cupboards." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=351&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=351&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=351&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428984/original/file-20211028-23-16tobqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Moth cocoons can be removed from your kitchen cupboards by wiping with a damp cloth or with a vacuum cleaner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Caterpillars can travel considerable distances to find a safe place to make a cocoon, so make sure to check shelves, walls, crevices and ceilings. Moth cocoons can be removed by wiping with a damp cloth or with a vacuum cleaner.</p>
<p>Cleaning and proper food storage are the best ways to end a pantry moth outbreak. Sticky pantry moth traps are commercially available and can be used to monitor and reduce the moth population. </p>
<p>Pantry moth traps – triangular cardboard covered with a thick sticky glue – are baited with a chemical that mimics the smell of a female pantry moth. </p>
<p>Males are attracted to the trap and become hopelessly stuck to the glue. Since sticky traps only target males, traps are unlikely to stop an outbreak on their own; always use them with proper food storage and careful cleaning.</p>
<p>Insecticide sprays are unlikely to be effective as pantry moth caterpillars and eggs are protected within food containers. Pantry moths are also resistant to a range of insecticides, rendering them ineffective. Insecticides should never be applied on or near food.</p>
<h2>What if I ate some pantry moth eggs or larvae?</h2>
<p>While it can be disconcerting to find tiny caterpillars in the cereal you’ve been enjoying all week, accidentally eating pantry moth caterpillars is unlikely to cause any health problems. </p>
<p>Given how common they are in stored food, you’ve probably already unknowingly consumed many moth eggs and larvae. </p>
<p>Thank goodness caterpillars are generally an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39480161">excellent source of</a> protein!</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-do-butterflies-remember-being-caterpillars-99508">Curious Kids: Do butterflies remember being caterpillars?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170274/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tanya Latty receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Hermon Slade Foundation. She has previously received funding from AgriFutures Australia and The Branco Weiss Foundation, . She is affiliated with The Australian Entomological Society and The Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour.</span></em></p>Unfortunately, it’s likely you brought them home yourself. Most pantry moth infestations probably start when we inadvertently bring home eggs and caterpillars in our dried foods.Tanya Latty, Associate professor, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1712542021-11-22T16:01:27Z2021-11-22T16:01:27ZMy formula for a tasty and nutritious Nigerian soup – with termites<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433177/original/file-20211122-23-9q9es9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Termites</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Animal protein, in the form of meat and fish, is becoming more expensive all over the world. It’s getting out of reach for more people, particularly low income earners. Yet it can be a good source of nutrition, of instance, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2007.00197.x#:%7E:text=Raw%20red%20muscle%20meat%20contains,and%2086%25%20in%20whole%20wheat">meat from animals</a> is a very rich source of protein when cooked. </p>
<p>Insects have been an <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13355-013-0171-9">important part</a> of human and animal diets over a long period of time, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Apart from the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">rich nutritional composition</a> (high protein and fat content) they have, they are also cheap and accessible. </p>
<p>Termites (<em>Macrotermes bellicosus</em>) are one insect species that are widely <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.957.2473&rep=rep1&type=pdf">consumed</a> in African countries, being easy to collect. Termites can be spiced, roasted and eaten as a snack. They are a well known food in Nigeria’s south-west region, where they are called “esunsun”.</p>
<p>Other insects eaten in Nigeria include adult crickets (<em>Brachytrypes</em> species), and adult short-horned grasshoppers (<em>Cytacanthacris naeruginosus unicolour</em>). </p>
<p>Insects like termites are a rich and affordable source of protein and fat. But they don’t appeal to everyone as food. My <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs42690-020-00350-1">study</a> explored how to introduce them into diets in a palatable way. I tried making them into powder and mixing it with a common food product, in this case a vegetable soup powder. I tested different combinations of ingredients and came up with a product that was both nutritious and acceptable to consumers. </p>
<h2>Ingredients</h2>
<p>Diets are changing as populations urbanise, with <a href="https://www.ifpri.org/publication/changing-diets-urbanization-and-nutrition-transition#:%7E:text=Diets%20are%20changing%20with%20rising,as%20diabetes%20and%20heart%20disease.">consequences for health</a>. Instant foods are popular but tend to be <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847">high in sugar</a>, fat and salt. Dried soup powders, on the other hand, are convenient and can be a nutrient-packed option. One promising ingredient is a vegetable that’s already used in soup in Nigeria and is often processed into powder to preserve it: <em>Clerodendrum volubile</em>.</p>
<p>The plant is known as “Marugbo” or “Eweta” among the Ikale, Ilaje and Apoi people in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria and “Obnettete” among the Itsekiri and Urhobo in Niger-Delta. Because the plant has a lot of biologically active compounds and chemical constituents, the leaves when cooked as soup have been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272724806_Phytochemistry_and_mode_of_action_of_some_tropical_spices_in_the_management_of_type-2_diabetes_and_hypertension">reported</a> to stimulate lost appetite and replenish vitality in mothers of newborn babies. The dark soup obtained when the leaves are ground and cooked is popularly referred to as “Eweta” by the Ikales.</p>
<p>For my test, I obtained fresh <em>Clerodendrum volubile</em> leaves and some spices (turmeric, pepper, onion powder and ginger) from Iya-laje market in Ondo town. The termites (<em>Macrotermes bellicosus</em>) were freshly harvested during the early raining season (March/April) on farms and residential properties. </p>
<p>I washed and dried the vegetable leaves before grinding them into powder. I also washed the termites in saltwater, dried them, removed the wings and ground the bodies into fine powder. I mixed the termite and vegetable powders together in varying proportions, not exceeding 25g of termite powder per 100g of soup powder. </p>
<p>I checked the nutrient composition of the various powder mixes and, after cooking soup by adding water and spices, I served it to consumers who were familiar with both “esunsun” and “marugbo”. The tasters were asked to compare the soup’s colour, taste, mouthfeel, aroma and overall acceptability with the same soup made from 100% “marugbo”. Being familiar with the ingredients, the tasters were not biased against the soup from the start.</p>
<h2>Nutrition and taste</h2>
<p>Enrichment with termite powder resulted in a more nutritious vegetable soup. There was an increase in mineral content (from 6.27% in marugbo only to 7.72% in marugbo with termite), fat content (from 6.08% in marugbo only to 16.84% in marugbo with termite) and protein content (from 15.03% in marugbo only to 29.94% in marugbo with termite). This was expected as insects are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">rich</a> in protein and fat. The more termite powder was included, the less vegetable content and fibre there was. </p>
<p>The tasters had no idea of the mix-proportion but they knew they were tasting a vegetable-insect mixture.</p>
<p>When judging the colour of the soup, consumers preferred mixes that had relatively more insects. For mouthfeel, they preferred the least quantity of insect powder. This wasn’t surprising, because they were not familiar with the use of termite powder in soups. In terms of overall acceptability, the soup with the lowest proportion of insects (10%) got the highest score. The tasters found all the termite soup samples to be much the same as vegetable-only soup.</p>
<h2>Nutritional and economic benefits</h2>
<p>This research has revealed that staple diets can be improved by the addition of insect powders rather than serving recognisable forms of insects, which some people find disgusting. </p>
<p>Increased awareness, exploration and acceptance of insects as alternative protein sources could make protein-rich diets available to more citizens. It could also yield economic benefits by developing a market for insects. There are <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Some-edible-insects-in-Nigeria_tbl1_286924546#:%7E:text=The%20most%20commonly%20consumed%20insects,2013">many edible insects</a> that are still under-explored for this purpose.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171254/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adedayo Adeboye does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Staple diets in Nigeria can be improved by the addition of insect powders, rather than serving recognisable forms of insects.Adedayo Adeboye, Researcher, Osun State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1672482021-09-21T12:35:24Z2021-09-21T12:35:24ZMore people are eating bugs – but is it ethical to farm insects for food?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420908/original/file-20210913-17-1y2xw89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C5%2C3707%2C2551&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An entovegan might happily eat an insect burger like this one, believing that their diet is both sustainable and ethical.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/patron-puts-condiments-on-a-grasshopper-burger-june-4-2014-news-photo/495563797?adppopup=true">Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What is the life of a cricket worth? </p>
<p>Insect farming is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-5967.12490">a rapidly growing industry</a>, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.0017">hundreds of companies worldwide</a> rearing insects at <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114567">industrial scales</a>. The global value of insect farming is expected to surpass <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aba1c1">US$1.18 billion by 2023</a>. </p>
<p>Farmed insects, or “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100376">mini-livestock</a>,” refers to insects such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.0052">crickets</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2017-0033">mealworms</a> raised for the sole purpose of being sold as food or animal feed. </p>
<p>These are not the fried tarantulas on a stick hawked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139003339.013">tourists</a> or scorpion lollipops sold as novelties. High-protein <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.0052">insect powder</a> can be used in foods from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.14601">breads</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-017-0676-0">buns</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04315-7">pasta</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aocs.12180">protein bars</a>. Such products are already available in countries including the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526488206">U.S.</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503211030802">Switzerland</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.11.005">Finland</a>. </p>
<p>As an entomologist who has studied the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10061038">potential</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2015.06.008">promotion of edible insects</a> in new markets, I have seen how much progress has been made <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2016.08.004">in the past decade</a> in normalizing the idea of eating insects worldwide. Now is the time to evaluate the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.03.040">ethical aspects</a> of insect farming.</p>
<h2>Insects for humanity</h2>
<p>The main motivation for edible insects’ rising popularity is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051145">environmental</a>. Producing 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of insect protein requires <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100722-8.00011-5">about 10% of the feed, water and land</a> used for the same amount of beef production, and releases as little as 1% of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014445">greenhouse gases</a>. Insects have a lower environmental impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-015-0931-6">even compared to other meat alternatives like dairy, gluten and mycoprotein</a>. </p>
<p>Raising insects on waste products <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118785">significantly ups these benefits</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100091">Black soldier flies</a> can be raised on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12940">agriculture byproducts</a> like vegetable peels or spent grains. The larvae are then <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2016.0055">used as feed</a> for fish and poultry, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.03.022">recycling waste</a> and reducing reliance on more expensive soymeal and fishmeal feeds. </p>
<p>Besides being big business, insect farms also provide important sources of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2015.08.012">protein and income</a> for rural households. They can be established cheaply, with little space, and are a boon for smallholder farmers who lack the resources for livestock, all the while sustainably providing feed and fertilizer. </p>
<p>A good example is the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.011">Insects for Peace</a>” program that has helped ex-combatants in post-conflict Colombia with their reintegration. The former soldiers have found livelihood farming black soldier flies, which are used as a feed component for livestock. </p>
<h2>Is insect meat cruelty-free?</h2>
<p>An additional bonus is that insects do not evoke much empathy. With exceptions, even vegetarians rarely think twice about swatted mosquitoes, let alone the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-205-43708a">millions of agricultural pests killed</a> when farming crops. </p>
<p>Those who do mind can rest assured that farmed insects lead net-positive lives, with no fear of predators or starvation. Insect welfare is conveniently easy: While cramped, hot, filthy settings in factory farms are cruel for vertebrates, they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1910(90)90105-O">ideal</a> for insects like mealworms that thrive when crowded together. One can imagine that there are not many requirements to set up a humane <a href="https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811233654_0015">cockroach farm</a>, though one’s neighbors might disapprove.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="View of insects being produced as food by an industry in France." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/421616/original/file-20210916-23-1m0aml3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scholars and advocates believe that the mass slaughter of insects should be done in the most humane way.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/view-of-insects-produced-by-micronutris-a-company-selling-news-photo/158774390?adppopup=true">Remy Gabalda/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The slaughter of insects is another issue.</p>
<p>Recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2514848620945321">surveys of U.K. insect farmers</a> found many are concerned about insect pain perception and providing their mini-livestock a “good death.” The most common slaughter methods large-scale insect farmers use are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-784-4_38">freezing or freeze-drying</a>, with the assumption that the cold-blooded insects will humanely fall asleep and never wake up.</p>
<p>While insects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8674(03)00272-1">can and do sense physical pain</a>, they likely do not do so consciously. Invertebrate neurologist <a href="https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/psychology_neuroscience/faculty-staff/our-faculty/shelley-adamo.html">Shelley Adamo</a> notes that many insect behaviors are “<a href="https://doi.org/10.4039/tce.2019.49">incongruent</a>” with pain as mammals experience it, citing reports of insects walking normally on broken legs or mantids mating while their partner eats them alive. Entomologist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/CH-Eisemann-5544335">Craig H Eisemann</a>’s influential review of the field, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01963580">Do Insects Feel Pain?</a>,” concluded that they are missing too many neurological, chemical and behavioral signs for a pain state.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, scholars such as Eisemann and other advocates agree that insects should be farmed and killed <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.x004">with the assumption that they do feel pain</a>. That means the slaughter method should be as quick and painless as possible.</p>
<p>While certainly less potentially painful than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1468731">boiling</a>, as extreme heat is known to induce <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.22737">pain responses</a> in insects, freezing is slow. Shredding is a popular alternative: At their small size, insects can be reduced to powder almost instantaneously, before they could sense any pain. Current surveys suggest <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3655">public perception</a> of pulverization is still negative compared with freezing, but insect farmers increasingly view it as the more <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-784-4_38">humane choice</a>.</p>
<p>The low probability that farmed insects suffer pain, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-018-0066-9">if they can “suffer” at all</a>, combined with the environmental and social benefits of insect farming, caused philosopher <a href="https://philosophy.columbian.gwu.edu/chris-meyers">Chris Meyers</a> to argue that eating insects is not only morally acceptable but also <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/swphilreview201329113">morally good</a>. </p>
<p>This idea gave rise to the term “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-892-6_43">entovegan</a>.” Like pescatarians follow a vegetarian diet but still eat seafood, entovegans happily eat arthropods, secure in the knowledge that their diet is both sustainable and ethical. </p>
<h2>How much are insect lives worth?</h2>
<p>What gives some strict vegans pause is the sheer number of insects involved. </p>
<p>In a 2020 preprint, animal welfare activist <a href="https://www.eaglobal.org/speakers/abraham-rowe/">Abraham Rowe</a> calculates that <a href="https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/nh6k3">1 trillion to 1.2 trillion individual insects</a> are farmed annually for food and feed, not including harvested wild insects. On average, 79 billion to 94 billion farmed insects are alive on farms globally in any given day, compared with only about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(15)60556-5">22 billion chickens</a>, Earth’s most popular meat. </p>
<p>So, how valuable is an insect’s life compared with a plant’s or a bacterium’s? Capacity for consciousness is a popular metric for determining if an organism has <a href="https://doi.org/10.51291/2377-7478.1583">moral standing</a>, even though there is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nous.12351">no agreement</a> on how to actually measure that.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.] </p>
<p>If one assumes, hypothetically, that insects are 0.1% as sentient as cows, or that the probability that insects can suffer is 0.1%, then killing 1,000 crickets has a similar ethical footprint as killing one cow. That may seem generous, yet in his guide “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saz011">How to Reply to Some Ethical Objections to Entomophagy</a>,” philosopher <a href="https://www.bobfischer.net/">Bob Fisher</a> calculates that one cow produces as much meat as 900,000 crickets. </p>
<p>The math changes, however, when one considers how many animals die in agricultural fields: Conservative estimates place at least 10 million invertebrates per acre of crops at risk from pesticides, as well as thousands of small, undeniably conscious vertebrates like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9833.2007.00382.x">mice and rabbits</a> at risk from mechanical harvesters. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-015-9599-y.pdf">This math</a> adds millions of deaths not only to traditional meat production through the fields of feed, but also to almost any cultivated crops, including soy. To quote biologists <a href="https://ib.berkeley.edu/people/directory/detail/6624/">Charles Nicoll</a> and <a href="https://academictree.org/physiology/peopleinfo.php?pid=757003">Sharon Russell</a>, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-205-43708a">There is no such thing as a bloodless veggieburger</a>.”</p>
<p>Fisher calculated that the number of insects killed to produce a plant-based diet or an insect-based diet <a href="https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2020.0061">are about the same</a>, meaning entoveganism and veganism are in that sense equivalent. Eating insects raised on organic wastes, all but eliminating the environmental and animal death costs of plant farming, may be the best option of them all.</p>
<p>The rise in insect farming means questions about insect sentience and slaughter are no longer just philosophical: The well-being of trillions of creatures is at stake.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167248/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matan Shelomi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Insect farming is growing in popularity as an alternative to traditional livestock and feed production. A scholar evaluates what that means in terms of trillions of insect lives.Matan Shelomi, Associate Professor of Entomology, National Taiwan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1540352021-05-20T17:46:18Z2021-05-20T17:46:18ZPest … or snack? June bugs are the ‘croutons of the sky’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401973/original/file-20210520-19-1othn30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=51%2C36%2C3399%2C2260&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">June bugs can be serious pests of ornamental and agricultural plants, lawns and golf courses, or they can be a crunchy snack for a bird — or human.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many people grit their teeth in anticipation of the arrival of June bugs. You might already have had your first run-in with one. Perhaps you heard one clumsily bounce off your window? Maybe you saw one loop around the porch light? Possibly, you felt one tangle its six sticky legs into your hair?</p>
<p>June bugs, also known as May bugs or June beetles, are a group of scarab beetles that are distributed across North America. For a brief period each summer, the adults are common and abundant across many parts of their range. </p>
<p>June bugs are attracted to light, which means we often encounter them at windows and streetlamps in early summer. Due to their large size and distinctive appearance, they are rather conspicuous among the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-should-learn-to-love-all-insects-not-just-the-ones-that-work-for-us-49925">millions of other insect species</a> we share our world with. </p>
<p>Whether you consider them friend, foe or a neutral party, here are some insights into these misunderstood creatures to celebrate the advent of June bug season.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A large beetle resting on a paved surface." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401706/original/file-20210519-15-134tdax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A June bug (Phyllophaga sp) resting on a paved surface in Guelph, Ont.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Ryan_Hodnett/Wikimedia Commons)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hundreds of different species of June bugs</h2>
<p>June bugs are found within the genus <em>Phyllophaga</em>, derived from the Greek <em>phyllon</em> (leaf) and <em>phaga</em> (eat). This name is a literal description of the adult’s habit of feeding on plant leaves. </p>
<p>There are more than 800 species of June bugs <a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/3477">known to science</a> and <a href="https://journals.flvc.org/mundi/article/view/127515">more are discovered every year</a>. Adult beetles are usually blackish or reddish brown in colour, and tend to be very hairy on their fronts. While June bug species have many external similarities, their genitalia are very distinctive — with the male organs resembling a scoop, a claw or a fork. Taxonomists often confirm the identity of the species, or describe new species, by carefully examining the genitalia. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/392859/original/file-20210331-15-5w9x9b.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Four species of Polyphaga showing the similar external morphology and distinctive male genitalia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(University of Nebraska State Museum, entomology division)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>June bug grubs live below ground for years</h2>
<p>When you encounter a June bug flying or crawling about, you are looking at a full-grown adult. Just like butterflies and moths, June bugs grow through a process known as “holometabolous development.” They pass through several stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Just as with butterflies, adult June bugs look and behave completely different from the larvae.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An adult and larval june bug pictured totgether" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395311/original/file-20210415-24-b576o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adult next to larva of a Phyllophaga species scarab collected from turfgrass.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Whitney Grandshaw/www.invasive.org)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Each June bug starts as a pearl-like egg laid in the soil. Each egg hatches into a c-shaped larva known commonly as a white grub. White grubs feed on the roots of plants, disrupting the uptake and transport of water and nutrients. </p>
<p>In high densities, June bugs can be serious pests of ornamental and agricultural plants, lawns and golf courses. Larvae spend at least a year in the soil, and in some cases take as much as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jof/38.12.944">four to five years to reach maturity</a>. </p>
<p>In late spring, the larva metamorphoses into a pupa, and then into the adult beetle. Armed with wings and developed gonads for mating, the June bugs will emerge from the soil and take to the night sky with the goal of feeding, finding a mate and reproducing, thus beginning the cycle anew. </p>
<h2>June bugs are food for many wild animals</h2>
<p>Although many people find June bugs unsettling, they play an important role in helping nutrients cycle through ecosystems. By chowing down on grass roots, June bugs concentrate nutrients into juicy (larva) and crunchy (adult) calorie-rich packages that are consumed by a variety of other organisms. </p>
<p>June bugs are a rich source <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">of protein (40 to 50 per cent) and fat (seven to 18 per cent)</a>. Many wild animals such as skunks, raccoon and several bird species consume June bugs across all stages of their life cycle. In the process of foraging for June bug larvae, animals often dig up soil, damaging crops, gardens, lawns and <a href="https://www.extension.iastate.edu/turfgrass/blog/june-bug-damage-iowa-golf-course">golf greens</a> in the process.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bluebird eating June bug" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395313/original/file-20210415-16-zccvc9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An Eastern Bluebird chows down on a June bug at Thomson’s Lake State Park, N.Y.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(olitimm/flickr)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from vertebrate predators, June bugs are an important food source for many other insects. A study based in southern Québec found that 29 species of insect used the June bug (<em>Phyllophaga anxia</em>) <a href="https://doi.org/10.4141/sa-1948-0056">as a source of food</a>. </p>
<p>One of the remarkable species that feeds on June bugs is <em>Pelecinus polyturator</em>. It is a large wasp (about seven centimetres long) that primarily reproduces asexually, and is found from northern Argentina to southern Canada. <em>Pelecinus polyturator</em> uses its long ovipositor to lay its eggs into white grubs, which eat and kill their host after hatching.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Large wasp with a long, curled, abdomen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395377/original/file-20210415-18-m6icik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This large parasitic wasp lays its eggs into June bug larvae feeding in the soil.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(hspauldi/flickr)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Some people eat June bugs too</h2>
<p>Much of the discussion around entomophagy (eating insects) in North America is centred on industrially reared insects like crickets and mealworms. Wild-foraging insects can also play an important role in supplying insects for human consumption, as is the case with June bugs. </p>
<p>Historically, the Bear River people in northwestern California <a href="https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=nfsfrp">ate fire-roasted</a> June bugs. Today, many people collect adult June bugs from lights or dig larvae from the soil for recipes. They crush them and bake them <a href="https://www.bugsfeed.com/what_to_do_with_june_bugs">into biscuits</a>, sprinkle them onto salads as “<a href="https://z1073.com/june-bug-season-for-your-dinner-plate-pics/">croutons of the sky</a>,” a term coined by Jonathan Bobryk of Nova Scotia, or even fill cooked larvae with cheese <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.629194/">and wrap them in bacon</a> </p>
<p>If you come across an adult June bug this spring, maybe give it a closer look. This chunky insect could very well be older than any of the babies and toddlers in your life. </p>
<p>If you squish it under your foot, you might be saving your lawn from the wrath of hungry white grubs, but you also might be robbing a <a href="https://www.valdosta.edu/%7Ebergstrm/BergstromSmith2017.pdf">barred owl</a>, a pelecinid wasp, or your neighbour of a protein-rich morsel.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154035/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Manning receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>There is much more to these chunky beetles of early summer than what first meets the eye.Paul Manning, Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1593482021-04-28T20:07:51Z2021-04-28T20:07:51Z4 reasons insects could be a staple in Aussie diets, from zesty tree ants to peanut-buttery bogong moths<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397489/original/file-20210428-19-1po00w2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=145%2C62%2C6803%2C4563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bryan Lessard</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the global population predicted to reach <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2019.html">9.7 billion by 2050</a>, one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-10-catastrophic-threats-facing-humans-right-now-and-coronavirus-is-only-one-of-them-136854">biggest challenges</a> in our lifetimes will be securing enough food for everyone. </p>
<p>We have only finite land and water resources, and climate change, environmentally harmful practises and <a href="https://theconversation.com/weve-had-a-taste-of-disrupted-food-supplies-here-are-5-ways-we-can-avoid-a-repeat-135822">emerging diseases</a> threaten supply chains. </p>
<p>One way to deal with this is to turn to our insect friends. But don’t baulk — more than <a href="https://www.investmentbank.barclays.com/our-insights/insect-protein-bitten-by-the-bug.html">two billion people from 130 countries already eat insects</a>. Many Australians already do, too, in the form of natural <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43786055">red food colouring made from the cochineal bug</a>, or the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook">5% of peanut butter</a> that’s legally allowed to contain insect fragments. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BgPv3nvA2UU","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Today, we’ve taken a leap towards bringing insects into mainstream Australian diets, with the launch of CSIRO’s <a href="https://research.csiro.au/edibleinsects/">Edible Insects Industry Roadmap</a>. It carves out a comprehensive plan exploring the challenges and opportunities for Australia to become a player in a global industry worth <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">A$1.4 billion by 2023</a>. </p>
<p>The roadmap provides a handy framework for anyone interested in getting a slice of the cricket pie, including new insect start-ups, farmers, food producers, researchers, policy makers and First Nations enterprises. To unlock the farming potential of Australia’s native insect species, we need to form new collaborations, co-develop First Nations-owned initiatives, and conduct more research.</p>
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<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/542498803" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">CSIRO launches Australia’s first edible insects roadmap.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By becoming braver in our food choices and incorporating insects into our diet, we can lower our environmental footprint, improve our health and be more connected to our land and culture. We bet you, your friends and pets will really get a kick out of it. </p>
<p>So here are four reasons why you should throw another insect on the barbie. Go ahead, we dare you! </p>
<h2>1. Australia has a long tradition of eating insects</h2>
<p>We have a growing appetite for eating insects. A report from 2006 found <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/product/a-feasibility-study-into-the-commercialisation-of-witchetty-grubs/">20% of surveyed Australians</a> say they’re keen to eat a witjuti grub (sometimes spelled witchetty grub). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419">Eating insects has long made sense in Africa. The world must catch up</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>After all, First Nations Australians have been eating insects for tens of thousands of years, including iconic native species such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-15/witchetty-grub-dna-sheds-light-on-indigenous-bush-food/8271724">witjuti grubs</a> that taste like nutty scrambled eggs, <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/bogong-moth/">bogong moths</a> that taste like peanut butter, or zesty lime <a href="https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Explore/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Insects/Ants/Common+species/Green+Tree+Ant">green tree ants</a>. </p>
<p>These are just some of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-30/could-edible-insects-be-next-big-australian-export-market/11462846">60 native edible insect species</a> recorded in Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Witjuti grubs are one of 60 edible insects species in Australia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397316/original/file-20210427-13-cbhwia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Edible insects are celebrated and traditionally eaten by many First Nations Peoples in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>First Nations-owned and -led enterprises are essential to transform our native insect species into new culturally celebrated and delicious Australian-branded foods. </p>
<p>We need to guarantee First Nations intellectual property is protected and benefits are shared to ensure an inclusive edible insect industry.</p>
<h2>2. Insects can help improve our health</h2>
<p>Edible insects are not only tasty, but also are a <a href="https://www.edibleinsects.com/insect-nutrition-information/">great source</a> of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamins B12, C and E. </p>
<p>Recent studies overseas have shown eating edible insects — such as silkworms, wax moth caterpillars and mealworms — can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29032-2">improve gut health</a>, <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/abs/10.3920/JIFF2017.0017">blood pressure</a>, and reduce <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728817/">blood glucose levels</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397322/original/file-20210427-21-1gx9b1u.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Edible insects are high in protein, vitamins and other micronutrients that could improve our health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">B. Ceko & B. Lessard</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More research is needed to <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2018/witchetty-grub-wonder">identify species</a> and determine the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/cosmos-qa-insect-led-recovery/">nutritional profiles of our native insects</a> to see which ones we should be eating to maximise their benefits for human health. </p>
<p>(Sorry to bug-curious people with shellfish allergies, but insects are related to crustaceans and may cause similar allergic reactions).</p>
<h2>3. Edible insect foods are already available</h2>
<p>This might seem like a food of the future, but edible insect products are already available to buy in some Australian supermarkets. </p>
<p>Aussie <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/rise-of-the-edible-bugs-20190927-p52vl1.html">start-ups</a> and insect farmers working with the <a href="https://www.insectproteinassoc.com/">Insect Protein Association of Australia</a> are farming insects and turning them into new edible products. You can even get your own insect nutritionist to help you on your edible insect journey. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Dog eating from bowl with insects around it" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397330/original/file-20210427-15-nue0jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pets love having a delicious and more sustainable food powered by edible insects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bryan Lessard</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you’re feeling curious, why not try some smoked cricket and dark roasted peanut butter, and make your way up to making delicious nachos with cricket corn chips or spaghetti with cricket pasta? Perhaps wash it down with some zesty lime green tree ant-infused gin. </p>
<p>And when you’re feeling more adventurous, take your baking to the next level by enriching your muffins, breads or pie crusts with high protein cricket powder. </p>
<p>What about doggo? Try feeding your beloved pet a more sustainable pet food made from roasted black soldier flies or mealworms. </p>
<h2>4. Farming insects is better for the environment</h2>
<p>Compared to conventionally farmed animals like beef, pork and chicken, insects produce fewer <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/01/fight-global-warming-eat-bug">greenhouse gases</a> because they don’t poop nearly as much and don’t usually ferment food in their guts that produces methane (only cockroaches and termites can produce methane in this way). </p>
<p>They also produce minimal waste, as 80 to 100% of the animal is eaten. Even the waste from the insects (called frass) can be turned into <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61765-x">nutrient-rich fertilisers</a> great for the garden. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397327/original/file-20210427-19-1jeekkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Insects require minimal land, water and feed to produce large quantities of high-value protein.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">CSIRO</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What’s more, Australian insect farmers are reducing the carbon footprint of transportation by developing urban mini farms, allowing sustainable protein to be produced closer to you. And insects may one day help farmers by supplementing <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/10/feature-why-insects-could-be-ideal-animal-feed">farm animal feed</a> in times of drought.</p>
<p>By creating new collaborations among First Nations peoples, researchers, insect farmers and policy makers, Australia can tap into its native insects to create new delicious, healthy and sustainable insect-based foods. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/insects-seaweed-and-lab-grown-meat-could-be-the-foods-of-the-future-130383">Insects, seaweed and lab-grown meat could be the foods of the future</a>
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<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159348/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bryan Lessard receives funding from the Australian Biological Resources Study. He is supervising PhD student Mark Rullo (CSIRO-University of Adelaide) who is exploring Australia's native edible insects and is co-funded by industry partner Goterra. Co-funded by CSIRO and the Council on Australia Latin America Relations from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the roadmap is available in English and Spanish to strengthen connections between Australia and Latin America where insects are more widely eaten.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rocio Ponce-Reyes receives funding from CSIRO. This project was funded by CSIRO and the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The roadmap is available in English and Spanish.</span></em></p>Two billion people already eat ‘prawns of the land’, so why don’t many Australians? A new CSIRO industry roadmap on edible insects explains why we should bring bugs into mainstream diets.Bryan Lessard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSIRORocio Ponce-Reyes, Research Scientist, CSIROLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1303832020-02-03T19:39:21Z2020-02-03T19:39:21ZInsects, seaweed and lab-grown meat could be the foods of the future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312569/original/file-20200129-92992-17qk1os.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C0%2C6333%2C3728&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An Indonesian traditional seaweed farm in Nusa Penuda, Bali.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world is facing a major food crisis where both <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/15-07-2019-world-hunger-is-still-not-going-down-after-three-years-and-obesity-is-still-growing-un-report">obesity and hunger are rising in the context of rapidly changing environments</a>. The Food and Agriculture Organization has presented alternative food sources — such as <a href="http://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/publications/details-publication/en/c/1154074/">seaweed</a> and <a href="http://www.fao.org/edible-insects/en/">insects</a> — as possible solutions to this crisis. </p>
<p>These scientists and policy makers think that if only consumers embraced seaweed diets and ate bugs these problems could be solved. But is this the whole story?</p>
<p>As a group of food security researchers from the University of Guelph and <a href="https://arrellfoodinstitute.ca/">the Arrell Food Institute</a>, we approach these claims cautiously, with the available scientific evidence in mind.</p>
<p>The European Commission defines novel foods as <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/novel_food_en">those without a history of consumption in a region</a>. Novel foods have emerged with the prospect of meeting both human and planetary health goals through changing diets. Three popular examples — lab-grown meat, insect farming and seaweed aquaculture — have increased in popularity in recent years in the context of shifting Western diets. </p>
<h2>Experimental production: Lab-grown meat</h2>
<p>Lab-grown protein was popularized in 2013 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/05/world-first-synthetic-hamburger-mouth-feel">when Google co-founder Sergey Brin invested 250,000 euros to create a cultured burger</a>. Developed by pharmacologist Mark Post, <a href="https://www.new-harvest.org/mark_post_cultured_beef">the burger was made using fetal bovine serum</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/QO9SS1NS6MM">publicized in a televised tasting event</a>.</p>
<p>Since then, a string of lab-grown meat businesses have propagated across <a href="https://www.memphismeats.com/">North America</a> and <a href="https://www.mosameat.com/faq">Europe</a>, backed by investors such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/23/bill-gates-and-richard-branson-bet-on-lab-grown-meat-startup.html">Bill Gates</a> and <a href="https://www.peta.org/living/food/memphis-meats-debuts-lab-grown-chicken-clean-meat/">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312567/original/file-20200129-93007-1rwybb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Meat-free alternatives, like plant-based burgers, have been growing in popularity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Most cultured meats are grown in a concoction of amino acids, natural growth factors, sugars and salts from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40898-018-0005-1">fetal bovine blood</a>, and research has yet to find an efficient “animal-free” method of growing muscle tissues. </p>
<p>However, lab-grown meat has significant potential as an alternative to animal products that require slaughtering. In doing so, lab-grown meat could provide consumers with the option of a meat-like protein that is less land- and water-intensive. Simultaneously, cultured meat “breweries” can easily tailor nutritional content to fit an array of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(14)60887-X">dietary needs</a>. There is even some talk of creating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2014.04.009">household-scale cultured meat systems</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-lab-grown-meat-be-labelled-as-meat-when-its-available-for-sale-93129">Should lab-grown meat be labelled as meat when it's available for sale?</a>
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<p>The lab-grown meat sector has faced push-back from the livestock industry, as seen by the debate over the marketing of lab-grown meat as a type of meat. While less land- and water-intensive than conventional livestock rearing processes, cultured meat production requires <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-015-0931-6">substantial energy inputs</a>. </p>
<p>To make lab-grown meat an even more environmentally sustainable option, attention is needed in <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00005">decarbonizing the energy used to power these labs</a>. Numerous studies have explored the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00011">market potential for cultured meat</a>. While results have so far been positive, substantial barriers remain, not least of which include concerns over product taste, healthiness and cost.</p>
<h2>Entomophagy: Considering insects as food</h2>
<p>Insects form a significant part of diets across the globe and are increasingly discussed as a sustainable protein source for the future. <a href="https://entomofarms.com/">The largest farm in North America</a> is less than two hours outside of Toronto and produces an array of cricket and mealworm powders and whole-roasted snacks. </p>
<p>Insects are a front-runner in the quest for sustainable protein sources, producing the same amount of protein as conventional poultry, beef and pork with <a href="http://www.fao.org/edible-insects/en/">far fewer feed requirements</a>. Studies estimate that insects require <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051145">25 times less land resources to raise than conventional beef</a>, half the energy and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/w7116190">one-third of the water resources</a>. </p>
<p>From a nutritional standpoint, numerous species of insects are <a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201200735">rich in key proteins</a>, micronutrients and minerals, although nutritional profiles change significantly during the different life stages of various insects.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312571/original/file-20200129-92949-iyrms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Fried wood worms with chicken rolls: chefs are incorporating insects in their dishes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Large-scale insect cultivation requires safe feed sources (a mixture of vegetables, fruit or grains), as well as land, energy and water resources. Organic waste streams may be used as food for insects raised for human consumption. However, researchers remain uncertain if insects raised on these diets accumulate mycotoxins — toxic compounds produced by some fungi.</p>
<p>Individuals who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201700030">allergic to arthropods like lobster may also be allergic to other insects</a>. Heavy metals are known to accumulate in some cultivated varieties of insects, raising regulatory and health concerns. While there is much interest in exploring consumer perceptions of “grossness” of insects, there are also practicalities: how easy is it to cook with insects, access ingredients or sample recipes.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-the-yuck-factor-that-puts-people-off-eating-insects-66522">It's not just the 'yuck factor' that puts people off eating insects</a>
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<h2>A side of seaweed?</h2>
<p>A long-established part of many East Asian diets, seaweed has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-418697-2.00001-5">multiple potential uses</a> as human food, animal feed, bioenergy and thickening agents such as agar and carrageenan. In 2015, global seaweed production totalled <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/CA1121EN/ca1121en.pdf">30.4 million tonnes wet-weight</a> with significant production potential in waters bordering North America, Europe and Australia. </p>
<p>In relegating bulk agricultural production to sea environments, the impact of agriculture on land resources, terrestrial biodiversity and nutrient cycling could be minimized. Seaweed aquaculture uses no (or insignificant) freshwater resources, and could be located in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.09.005">coastal desert regions</a>. </p>
<p>Intensively cultivated seaweeds would absorb a significant amount of carbon from ocean water, in addition to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09670262.2017.1365175">excess nutrients released through traditional land-based agricultural systems</a>. Several selectively bred varieties of seaweed supply a range of micro-nutrients and vitamins, and have a similar <a href="http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/947831469090666344/pdf/107147-WP-REVISED-Seaweed-Aquaculture-Web.pdf">protein profile to soy</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312602/original/file-20200129-93023-168jae0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Wakame, a type of edible seaweed, is used in traditional Japanese cuisine.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Seaweed aquaculture, like other forms of plant agriculture, risks favouring a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00107">select few breeds</a> of high-performing plants. Decreased diversity of seaweed strains can increase the susceptibility of cultivated systems to pests. Intensive cultivation systems may also negatively affect local ecosystem functioning, although <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2003.11.015">integrated seaweed and mariculture systems</a> can support an abundance of aquatic life. While seaweed is a staple of many diets in the world, its potential in many parts of North America and Europe remains untapped.</p>
<p>There is no single solution to complex issues like food security. It is important to reflect on how our food choices impact our health and that of the planet. Novel foods are beginning to influences these choices; it is clear that novel foods are a crucial part of the solution to the food crisis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130383/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Duncan receives funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund Food from Thought Program and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Evan Fraser receives funding from the Arrell Family Foundation, George Weston Ltd., and the Governments of both Canada and Ontario. He is affiliated with the University of Guelph, the Arrell Food Institute, the Weston Seeding Food Innovation program, and the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alesandros Glaros and Lisa Ashton do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Awareness is increasing about foods like lab-grown meat, insects and seaweed. These foods may help address environmental challenges, but it’s important to be aware of both the costs and benefits.Alesandros Glaros, PhD Candidate, Geography, University of GuelphEmily Duncan, PhD Candidate, Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of GuelphEvan Fraser, Professor, Director of the Arrell Food Institute and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security, University of GuelphLisa Ashton, PhD Candidate, Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1258282019-11-27T14:31:49Z2019-11-27T14:31:49ZWhy we’re involved in a project in Africa to promote edible insects<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301931/original/file-20191115-66973-fzxc4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The development of an industry in edible insects such as these mopane caterpillars has been slow.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40128873_Insects_as_food_in_Sub-Saharan_Africa">wealth of indigenous knowledge</a> about capturing and eating insects in sub-Saharan Africa. But the development of edible insects as a food industry has been very slow, despite its many potential benefits. </p>
<p>Sustainability is one. Insects have a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051145#s4">small carbon and water footprint</a>. <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf?utm_content=bufferf4265&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.SEIresearch">Studies</a> show that insect farming emits less carbon and methane gas than large livestock like cattle and pigs. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/7/11/6190">Much less water</a> is needed to produce the same amount of protein. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364032111003625?via%3Dihub">Insects use feed</a> more efficiently than other sources of animal protein. Farming them could be a new source of jobs and income. </p>
<p>There should be more awareness and promotion of insects as food for humans and as feed for animals, especially at the policy, legislative and business level. In most African nations, edible insects are still viewed as an insignificant source of food and even, in some instances, as food for the poor. There are very few success stories of large-scale insect farming and industrial use in Africa. </p>
<p>We have been involved <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqc57qRcpTo&feature=youtu.be">in a project</a> to promote the integrated use of insects as food in urban areas in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our project works on the edible insect value chain and discovered that the seasonal supply of insects and poor hygiene standards made the market unstable and unattractive to consumers. Traders sold insects in an informal setting and had little interaction with farmers. </p>
<p>We carried out training among farmers, traders, municipalities and others with an interest in this emerging industry. The training included how to handle and process insects after they were harvested, food safety along the value chain and farming crickets (<em>Acheta domesticus</em> and <em>Gryllus bumaculatus</em>).</p>
<p>The trainees have learnt how to rear and sell insects better and have become more aware of what a sustainable value chain should look like. For example, market facilities have to be clean and there must be a steady supply of insects. The training also created awareness of the need to farm insects rather than catching them in the wild. Catching insects can reduce insect populations dramatically when consumption increases. And there are no food safety standards for wild insects. </p>
<p>Together with the urban council in the town of Chinhoyi in Zimbabwe we built a model market structure where traders are selling their insects. Traders are selling some of the most popular edible insects; wild harvested mopane worms (<em>Gonimbrasia belina</em>), termites (<em>Macrotermes natalensis</em>) and wild harvested crickets. Farmers are still building stocks of farmed crickets, but the plan is to sell farmed crickets in the near future. It is still too early to see the impact but one notable improvement is hygiene. The market has also helped women traders, who are the main group selling insects there. They have become more organised about their business. </p>
<p>We hope this will lead to an increase in consumer willingness to buy edible insects, and demonstrate best practice to other regions of Zimbabwe and beyond. Through our project, we have also helped insect traders and farmers to form industry associations. </p>
<h2>Why insects are valuable</h2>
<p>Insects are <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf?utm_content=bufferf4265&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.SEIresearch">highly nutritious and contain protein</a>, fat and energy in proportions similar to grains, vegetables and seeds. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S122686151830671X">They are rich</a> in macro minerals like calcium, sodium and magnesium and micro minerals like zinc, manganese, iron and copper, all of which should be part of a healthy diet. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, these minerals come from fruits and vegetables, most of which are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919216303840?via%3Dihub">farmed seasonally</a>. Edible insects could supply these minerals during seasons where there is less fruit and vegetable production.</p>
<p>They contain essential amino acids such as threonine, cysteine, valine, methionine and isoleucine. The recommended daily minimum intake of amino acids can be consumed by eating just 100 grams of the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0145914">edible stink bug</a> (<em>Encosternum delegorguei</em>), for example. </p>
<p>Earlier this year, parts of eastern and southern Africa were ravaged by <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/crisis-update-cyclones-idai-and-kenneth">Cyclone Idai</a>. The cyclone destroyed crops and livestock, causing severe food shortages. We believe that in disaster-struck areas, edible insects can build resilience by being a food resource in recovery programmes and an alternative to traditional smallholder farming. There is an <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2018/03/farms-for-orphans-insect-farming-democratic-republic-congo/">excellent example </a>of that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where orphanages have started insect farms to grow their own protein. The farms have helped decrease hunger and improve health among the orphans.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/economic-chaos-is-causing-a-food-security-and-humanitarian-crisis-in-zimbabwe-124791">Economic chaos is causing a food security and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe</a>
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<h2>What needs to happen?</h2>
<p>We were involved in setting up an <a href="https://www.slu.se/EdibleInsectsAfrica">international conference</a> in Zimbabwe to discuss ways to foster the edible insects industry. </p>
<p>Research is required so that policy makers and those involved in the sector – farmers, processes, marketers and consumers – can make evidence-based decisions. This must happen across disciplines. Researchers should work with farmers and people in business to foster skills, innovation and enterprise. For example, they could develop business cases and scenarios.</p>
<p>Policy makers must understand that the sector is unique. Edible insects have not been categorised under any agricultural sub-sector such as crop or animal farming. On the African continent, they have not previously been farmed and treated as a commodity. That is why it would be helpful to establish and coordinate platforms such as meetings, workshops, exhibitions, magazines and websites.</p>
<p>Policy should also allow innovation and investment to happen at national, regional and international levels. Industry participants will need access to markets and credit.</p>
<p>Farmers, food and feed processors, traders and marketers must seize opportunities to invest and enter niche markets. They can also contribute to policy development and share knowledge about traditional ways of producing and eating insects. </p>
<p>There is <a href="http://www.mopaneworm.com/">momentum</a> generated by <a href="https://ace2.iucea.org/index.php/2018-01-22-22-04-02/aces-at-a-glance/sacids-2">several research</a> and business initiatives that <a href="https://gourmetgrubb.com/">have been ignited</a> in sub-Saharan Africa. And there is growing enthusiasm for using edible insects as alternative sources of protein and to build resilience against climatic shocks. It’s an essential step towards improving food security in the region.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Musundire receives funding from the AgriFoSe2030 programme, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency. He is affiliated with Department of Crop Science and Postharvest Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anneli Sundin receives funding from the AgriFoSe2030 programme, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency. She is affiliated with the Stockholm Environment Institute in Sweden. </span></em></p>There needs to be more awareness of the benefits of insects as food, and support for farming and markets.Robert Musundire, Associate Professor of Entomology in the Department of Crop Science and Post-Harvest Technology, Chinhoyi University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1186752019-06-27T22:44:06Z2019-06-27T22:44:06ZEating insects is good for you — and the planet!<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279438/original/file-20190613-32361-3ygq8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It is vital to find alternative and sustainable sources of protein to meet the considerable challenge of ensuring food security for the future.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Does the idea of eating insects bug you? </p>
<p>Well, think about this: the United Nations predicts that by 2050, if current trends continue, the <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/">world’s population will reach 9.8 billion</a>. As a result, <a href="http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf">global demand for food and feed is expected to increase by 70 per cent</a>, putting additional pressure on already overexploited agricultural resources. </p>
<p>Global demand for meat in particular will continue to increase as dietary habits in developing countries change, due to rapid urbanization and economic growth.</p>
<p>The oceans are already over-exploited and climate change will have a profound impact on food production. Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/en/">nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from chronic food deprivation</a>. </p>
<p>Among the possible solutions, one is quietly making its way into the public’s attention: eating insects.</p>
<h2>Alternatives to animal protein</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.fao.org/edible-insects/en/">To meet current and future food challenges</a>, the agri-food sector needs to be rethought. We need to find new ways to grow food, address inefficiencies and develop new approaches to production methods. </p>
<p>In addition to population growth, urbanization and the rise of the middle class in developing countries are increasing global demand for food, especially animal protein. The production of traditional feed ingredients such as cereals, fish meal and oilseeds must be reduced and substitutes found to make more efficient use of resources.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277433/original/file-20190531-69059-16sw0fa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some of the protein produced for livestock feed comes from sources that may be unsustainable and harmful to the environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The billions of animals raised each year for food are putting increasing pressure on land and water resources and contributing to climate change and <a href="http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html">other negative environmental impacts</a>.</p>
<p>Livestock farming for meat production puts considerable pressure on global land and water use. At present, a large proportion of the protein produced for livestock feed comes from sources that are sometimes unsustainable and harmful to the environment.</p>
<h2>Eating insects</h2>
<p>To meet the considerable challenge of ensuring food security for the future, it is imperative to find alternative and sustainable sources of protein, both for direct human consumption and for animal feed. Insect-derived proteins are one possible solution. Insects, especially fly larvae, have many qualities that make them well adapted to animal feed. </p>
<p>For example, insects are already a natural source of food for pigs and poultry as well as for many fish species. In addition, insect larvae are generally high in protein and are rich in other beneficial nutrients such as fats, minerals and vitamins. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277104/original/file-20190529-192440-1na0we5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sushi served with fried grasshoppers is popular in Thailand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a source of protein for direct human consumption, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150609124315.htm">insects offer several advantages</a> over traditional sources of meat. They have a significantly higher feed conversion rate than other livestock, which means they are more effective at converting the ingredients used to feed them into nutrients. </p>
<p>In addition, insect production is more environmentally friendly than conventional livestock production. Insects release much lower amounts of greenhouse gases and ammonia into the atmosphere per kilogram of meat than cattle or pigs.</p>
<h2>Larvae that recycle</h2>
<p>Insect larvae, in particular, are efficient consumers of a wide range of organic materials. They have the ability to “over-cycle” relatively low quality organic residues as feedstock into valuable proteins and lipids. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277103/original/file-20190529-192372-1w35ric.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fried insects in a street kitchen in Bangkok, Thailand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although direct human consumption of insects is not widespread in Western countries, raising insects to transform organic waste streams offers an interesting opportunity to produce food ingredients for animal production. In particular, the larvae of the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/3/98">black soldier fly</a> has a nutritional profile that makes them a potential ingredient to replace traditional food ingredients intended for human consumption.</p>
<h2>Multinational munching</h2>
<p>The cultivation of insects raised specifically for domestic animals and fish has been the subject of sporadic assessments for several decades. However, the widespread adoption and commercialization of these approaches remains difficult. The methods are still artisanal and have been mainly developed and deployed in emerging countries with limited resources.</p>
<p>However, a convergence of factors has revived interest in this area, particularly from a number of multinationals in the agri-food sector. A combination of new municipal regulations limiting organic waste disposal and the need to find sustainable ingredients for animal feed have led to renewed interest in insects and their ability to transform organic waste into valuable food resources.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118675/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grant Vandenberg has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, MAPAQ, the Consortium de recherche et innovations en bioprocédés industriels au Québec, agri-food companies and industrial partners. </span></em></p>Insects are high in protein and rich in other nutrients and, unlike beef and other livestock, have little impact on climate.Grant Vandenberg, Professeur titulaire – Groupe de recherche en recyclage biologique et aquaculture, Faculté des sciences de l’agriculture et de l’alimentation, Université Laval, Université LavalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1079672019-02-11T13:28:25Z2019-02-11T13:28:25ZFried, steamed or toasted: here are the best ways to cook insects<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248679/original/file-20181204-126668-10gu4at.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Insects are nutritious and many species contain relatively more protein than conventional meat sources.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">CK Bangkok Photography/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For thousands of years people from all over the world have eaten insects. Today about 2.5 billion people – many of whom live in Africa – eat insects. To date, 470 African edible insects <a href="https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2014.0016">have been</a> scientifically recorded, with grasshoppers and termites among some of the favourites. </p>
<p>There are many reasons why we should be eating insects. They support a “greener” lifestyle for meat eaters. Of the total greenhouse gases each year <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280545565_Mopane_worms">at least</a> 15% comes from livestock. For their part insects produce 1kg to 3kg less greenhouse gases per kilo. They also need between 40% and 80% less feed per kg than livestock and anywhere from 50% to 90% less acreage to produce one kg of protein than beef – depending on the insect species and farming method used. That’s great news in a world battling scarce land and water resources. </p>
<p>Insects are also nutritious. Many insect species contain relatively <a href="https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1364032111003625/1-s2.0-S1364032111003625-main.pdf?_tid=fb95aa57-834c-4e93-a940-2151d4b7f471&acdnat=1548666556_c19871fbccac5554d91df24c5356ce28">more</a> protein than conventional meat sources, like chicken or pork. Insects also contain essential fatty acids and important minerals and vitamins. For example termites, when dried, they contain up to 36% protein. </p>
<p>We need to rethink our diets and food habits, in particular those related to meat consumption. Because insects are an affordable and local food source rich in protein, they can be used as a meat replacement. To help in this, we put together <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280545565_Mopane_worms">a guide</a> on how insects can be eaten. To collect the most authentic, flavourful and varied recipes we visited villages in rural areas and spoke to local cooks about how to prepare their favourite specialties.</p>
<h2>Insect recipes</h2>
<p>It’s important to prepare the insects properly before eating:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Wash the insects</p></li>
<li><p>Boil, steam or fry them for at least five minutes</p></li>
<li><p>Eat the prepared insects directly after cooking</p></li>
<li><p>If not eaten immediately, the insects must be preserved. Either keep them in a fridge or freezer, or sun-dry them to preserve them. They can last for a few days. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>In the tropics, insects are mainly harvested in the wild so those steps are important. But some of these insects are now <a href="https://www.crunchycritters.com/">available</a> in Western supermarkets. Here are a few recipes to get you started: </p>
<p><strong>Termites</strong> (nemeneme)</p>
<p>Termites are one of the tastiest forms of protein available on the planet. Termites are best toasted or lightly fried until they are slightly crisp. Since their body is rich in oil, very little or no additional oil is needed. </p>
<p>Soldier termites can be coaxed from their tunnels by probing their mounds with long reeds which they clamp onto. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248677/original/file-20181204-126683-1ifdqt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">khlungcenter/shutterstock.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They can be preserved by dry frying in salt until they are crispy. They can then be made into a stew with tomato, onion and whatever spices you like. </p>
<p>Flying termites are traditionally caught by placing pots of water under lights, which attract them. </p>
<p><strong>Thief Ants (dinhlamakura)</strong></p>
<p>These huge black ants only appear above ground once a year, just after the first rains, when they leave their nests to mate, reproduce and start new underground colonies.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258824/original/file-20190213-181615-15uqwl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bernard Dupont/Wikimedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Also called “big bottom” ants, they are prized for their rich taste. They can be eaten raw – their fat abdomens bitten off, discarding the head and legs. But they do very well as a fatty snack, like peanuts. For this, they should be lightly fried with salt. </p>
<p><strong>House cricket</strong> </p>
<p>Grilled house cricket snack:</p>
<p>These insects are great with sesame oil. Remove wings and mix them with a few drops before putting them under an oven grill for about ten minutes, until they become crispy. Another preparation is to fry the wingless crickets in a few drops of sesame or olive oil for about ten minutes until crispy. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248717/original/file-20181204-34157-3h2tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vitalii Hulai/shutterstock.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>House crickets and dates:</p>
<p>The crickets can also be used to stuff dates - a beautiful contrast with the sweet date and nutty insect. Cut the dates open from the side, remove the pit, and fill with fresh or frozen crickets. </p>
<p><strong>Caterpillars</strong> <em>(Cirina forda)</em></p>
<p>These caterpillars can be collected from <em>Burkea africana</em> trees, which are found <a href="http://pza.sanbi.org/burkea-africana">in most</a> African countries. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248680/original/file-20181204-126668-31dzvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">WikiMedia.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When home, rinse with fresh water. Their innards need to be squeezed out – this is because they contain their food plant which is indigestible. Then boil them for 30 minutes in salted water. After boiling, spread them out on a tray and leave them in the sun. Allow them to bake in the sun for one or two days until crisp. If cooked over a fire they develop a distinct and tasty smoky flavour – like biltong.</p>
<p>They can then be eaten as a snack or prepared as a stew. To make the stew, fry them in oil with chill and garlic. Add tomato, onion and capsicum and allow them to stew for 15 minutes. They go really well with rice or <a href="https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Pap_(food).html">pap</a>, a cornmeal porridge. </p>
<p><strong>Long-Horned Grasshopper</strong></p>
<p>These grasshoppers have long been part of the food culture in the Lake Victoria region of East Africa. They are most commonly green or brown. Collection is easy because the insects are attracted to light in the evenings.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248718/original/file-20181204-34148-68tmlm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Poppap pongsakorn/shutterstock.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Pull the wings off and eat them raw. But if you prefer to cook them, they can be either boiled or fried. </p>
<p><strong>Mopane worms</strong></p>
<p>After harvesting the mopane worms, squeeze out their guts starting from the head. Wash the mopane worms in cold water and then boil them for about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Allow them to cool and put them out in the sun for a few days, or smoke them until they are completely dry.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/248720/original/file-20181204-34154-1gdr9u9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">jbdodane/flickr.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dried mopane worms can be eaten as snacks with or without porridge, or cooked again. To cook dried mopane worms; soak one cup of dried mopane worms in hot water for about 30 minutes. Rinse them in cold water. Put them in a pot with half a fried onion, 2 tomatoes, curry and green pepper. Add half a cup of water and a half teaspoon of soft salt, and mix. Boil for about 20 minutes. </p>
<p>Free of hormones, home grown, organic and free range; insects should be high on any health fanatic’s diet list.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107967/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bronwyn Egan received funding from a government NRF grant to do the research on Blouberg Edible insects for her doctorate</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Potgieter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Because insects are an affordable and local food source rich in protein, they can be used as a meat replacement.Martin Potgieter, Professor, Department of Biodiversity, University of LimpopoBronwyn Egan, Associate lecturer, University of LimpopoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/948532018-04-17T21:51:17Z2018-04-17T21:51:17ZLess meat, more bugs in our dietary future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215106/original/file-20180416-105522-jx3uw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Production facility manager Derek Delahaye eats roasted crickets at the Entomo Farms cricket processing facility in Norwood, Ont., in 2016. Bugs are a diet staple in most parts of the world. Will Canadians join the masses in their search for alternate sources of protein to meat?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Biologically speaking, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/04/20/150817741/for-most-of-human-history-being-an-omnivore-was-no-dilemma">humans are omnivores</a> and we like to eat a variety of things. There is increasing interest in all sorts of alternative sources of protein as we diversify our diets. This trend is accelerating in 2018.</p>
<p>According to Nielsen, the consumer analytics company, the proportion of Canadians identifying as vegetarian and vegan is still relatively small (six per cent and two per cent respectively), <a href="http://www.nielsen.com/ca/en/insights/news/2017/plant-based-proteins-are-gaining-dollar-share-among-north-americans.html">but 43 per cent of Canadians say they’re planning to get more plant-based proteins into their diets.</a> That’s higher than both the United States and global average.</p>
<p>This is coupled with an 18 per cent reduction in beef consumption and an 11 per cent decrease in pork consumption over the past decade, according to the Nielsen data. </p>
<p>In the U.S., meantime, plant-based food sales grew by almost 15 per cent from July 2016 to June 2017. </p>
<p>We are being offered more variety in response to these trends. It’s a phenomenon driven by a wide range of concerns over our health, the environment, animal welfare — and simply an increasing desire for variety. It’s clear that consumers are reducing meat consumption <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/flexitarianism-predicted-as-key-food-trend-for-2017-vegetarian-less-meat-a7465156.html">(flexitarianism)</a> or, to a smaller degree, not eating meat at all (vegetarianism, veganism, lacto-ovo vegetarianism and <a href="http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/basics-pescetarianism-2979.html">pescatarianism</a>).</p>
<p>While the science continues to be unclear about the health impacts of meat consumption, it is clear that there’s a move towards eating less meat. The new, not-yet-finalized <a href="https://passport2017.ca/articles/new-food-guide-canada">Canada Food Guide</a> recommends moving to a more plant-based diet. But if people reduce their intake of meat, they will need to find protein elsewhere.</p>
<h2>Animals emit lots of methane</h2>
<p>A common critique of meat is that livestock production is environmentally unsustainable. In addition to the resources required to produce meat, there is also concern about the emissions from farm animals, particularly cows.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cows-exude-lots-of-methane-but-taxing-beef-wont-cut-emissions-89893">Cows exude lots of methane, but taxing beef won't cut emissions</a>
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<p>While the absolute impact depends on the livestock type — beef is considered more problematic than chicken due to both emissions and the amount of grain required per kilogram of meat produced — and the specific production system, concern over environmental impact will continue to motivate some to cut back on meat consumption. </p>
<p>Furthermore, some consumers think that raising animals for human consumption is unethical, and are choosing to stop eating meat altogether. </p>
<p>Even without concern for the other factors, there is also a <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/fare/files/Food%20Focus%202108_Final%2BAODA.pdf">trend to increased variety and choice</a>. Baby Boomers, in particular, have more time and are experimenting more with food.</p>
<p>Restaurants are working hard to offer more choice, profitably, as meat prices increase. They also are seeing the early trend of reduced meat consumption and anticipating an opportunity. A demand for alternate proteins exists in grocery stores as well.</p>
<p>Plant-based proteins are the primary alternative. These are most often soy protein or pulses. <a href="http://www.pulsecanada.com/">Pulses are the dried seeds</a> of legumes and the most common edible ones are dried peas, dried beans, chickpeas and lentils. </p>
<p>These products are appealing as they are high in protein and fibre but low in fat. While that makes for a healthier product, it does make them less desirable for some consumers.</p>
<h2>Lab meat being developed</h2>
<p>In efforts to replicate the meat experience, several companies are developing plant-based meat analogs. They are building “burgers” that mimic the colour, texture, juiciness and taste of a beef burger. The <a href="https://www.impossiblefoods.com/burger/">Impossible Burger</a> is one that’s received a lot of attention. Several of these products are on restaurant menus and grocery store shelves in the United States and Canada already.</p>
<p>Companies are also developing the technology to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/lab-grown-meat/">culture meat</a>, a process in which meat protein is grown in a laboratory without a live animal. </p>
<p>This technology exists today and costs are still high, but developers are optimistic that <a href="http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/answering-how-a-sausage-gets-made-will-be-more-complicated-in-2020">cost reductions</a> will continue. Another drawback of the current technology is that it produces a ground beef analog rather than the long muscle fibres that comprise premium cuts of beef.</p>
<p>Insect protein is another area with the potential for dramatic growth. The “ick!” factor has constrained development in North America, but there are parts of the world where insects represent a significant protein source. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/215105/original/file-20180416-570-7zvhuz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Coming to a Canadian market near you? Perhaps not, but Canadians are increasingly turning away from meat and looking for alternate sources of protein. Insects may be among them in the years to come as bugs, worms and larvae are at this Thai market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Insects have appeal because they grow quickly and efficiently. Also, food that would otherwise be wasted can be used to <a href="https://www.biocycle.net/2017/06/16/bugs-eat-food-waste/">raise insects</a>. </p>
<p>The development of products such as insect “flour,” where the source is not recognizable, may make insect protein more appealing. President’s Choice just launched a <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/bugs-in-the-grocery-aisle-loblaw-adds-cricket-powder-to-its-pc-line-1.3830551">cricket powder</a> as part of its product line. Insect protein is clearly entering the mainstream.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jiminy-cricket-why-bugs-may-soon-be-on-the-menu-93573">Jiminy Cricket! Why bugs may soon be on the menu</a>
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<p>The long-term trend to lower per-capita meat consumption will continue. </p>
<p>There’s no doubt there will be greater interest in insects, plant-based protein and cultured meat. Expect to see new products and approaches in the year to come and beyond.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94853/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael von Massow receives funding from the Walmart Foundation in support of food waste research. He has also received funding from Longo's as part of the Guelph Food Retail Lab research program and from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in support of consumer research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alfons Weersink receives funding from Food from Thought, sponsored through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). </span></em></p>Canadians are increasingly looking to alternatives to meat to get their protein. Pulses like lentils and chickpeas are becoming more popular. Will insects find a way onto our plates too?Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, Food Economics, University of GuelphAlfons Weersink, Professor, Dept of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/935732018-03-19T21:44:46Z2018-03-19T21:44:46ZJiminy Cricket! Why bugs may soon be on the menu<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210992/original/file-20180319-31621-1j82i56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=48%2C106%2C3180%2C1800&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Looks .... tasty? Roasted crickets are shown at the Entomo Farms cricket processing facility in Norwood, Ont., in April 2016. Loblaw has added cricket powder to its lineup of President's Choice products.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Loblaws, Canada’s largest grocery chain, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2018/03/06/loblaw-adds-cricket-powder-to-presidents-choice-line.html">is now selling cricket flour.</a> </p>
<p>The product itself is not new; many speciality stores have been selling it for a few years now. But Loblaw is the first major Canadian retailer to sell the product under its own private label, President’s Choice. </p>
<p>For Loblaw, with its head office at 1 President’s Choice Circle in Brampton, Ont., this is not a decision made lightly. Loblaw boldly put a picture of a cricket on the same package as its prized President’s Choice brand logo.</p>
<p>And given the growing number of consumers <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-canadians-lead-the-charge-to-a-meatless-canada-93225">looking for protein alternatives</a> beyond the meat trifecta of beef, pork and chicken, selling cricket flour is a sign that the protein wars in Canada are heating up.</p>
<p>Most of the world’s population, <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419">about 80 per cent of us, eat bugs regularly</a>. In the Western world, however, this is still not mainstream mainly due to the creepy-crawly factor. </p>
<p>The fact is, though, that we have all eaten bugs at some time, deliberately or not.</p>
<p>Food safety research has shown repeatedly <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3776104/insects-allowed-in-food-canada/">that bugs regularly get into the human food chain</a>, through grains, vegetables, fruits or other means. Food safety perfection is just an ideal, and bugs aren’t harmful.</p>
<p>Furthermore, all of us have at one point or another likely inadvertently inhaled tiny insects on bike rides or when out for a run. I know I have.</p>
<h2>Eating bugs a tough sell</h2>
<p>Disgusted enough yet? Bugs surround us, whether we like or not, but to collectively accept them as an integral part of our food supply chain is still a psychological stretch.</p>
<p>For Loblaw, though, it’s about health and sustainability, and the case for using crickets is actually quite compelling. A 2.5-tablespoon serving has 90 calories and 13 grams of protein. It also contains enough B12 vitamins to carry you through the day. </p>
<p>The University of Oxford <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4781901/">published a compelling study on the nutritional value of crickets</a> versus meat products. When measuring protein content, vitamins, sugar and fat, crickets ended up ahead in most categories. </p>
<p>While some have pointed out some of <a href="https://insectdeli.weebly.com/disadvantages.html">the limitations around insect consumption</a>, scientific consensus is building. It’s not surprising, then, that Loblaw has been looking at this for a few years already.</p>
<p>Marketwise, Loblaw <a href="https://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc-100-cricket-powder.html">is testing consumers’ current curiosity and willingness to explore new dietary options.</a> But the grocery chain is not exactly giving the product away. </p>
<p>When launched, the retail price point was almost CDN$16 for a 113-gram bag. </p>
<h2>Cricket muffins?</h2>
<p>Given how inexpensive cricket production is, margins are likely high because of the shelf space that’s sacrificed to stock the item. Cricket flour can be used as an added ingredient for smoothies, yogurt, soups, oatmeal and baked goods, among many other things. And with its neutral flavour, it won’t affect the taste.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210994/original/file-20180319-31599-18wpwrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Roasted Red Tomato Basil Soup thickened with cricket powder for additional nutrition is shown at the Entomo Farms cricket processing facility in Norwood, Ont., in April 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill)</span></span>
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<p>Those who advocate consuming crickets point out that insects are better at converting feed to protein compared to larger livestock. Entomo Farms, based in Norwood, Ont., supplies the product to Loblaws stores. </p>
<p>Operations in Norwood have grown by 12 times since 2014 as the demand for crickets is growing exponentially. Because crickets can reproduce very quickly and take up very little space, it’s an incredibly efficient crop.</p>
<p>This speaks to how our relationship with food is changing in general. </p>
<p>Aesthetics, flavour, price and convenience remain the major factors in choosing the foods we eat. But the nutritional content of every ingredient in our foods is gaining more attention. </p>
<h2>Lobsters: Bugs of the sea?</h2>
<p>From our western perspective, crickets do not look appetizing, but neither did lobsters at one point in time, and in fact they used to be known as <a href="https://www.foodbeast.com/news/oh-lobster-you-so-fancy/">the cockroaches of the sea</a>. Now lobster is considered a scrumptious delicacy.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/211032/original/file-20180319-31599-obb6s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Giant sea crickets? Lobsters used to be shunned for their appearance. Will insects and crickets come to be considered a treat the way lobster now is?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)</span></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2017/01/30/booming-octopus-demand-by-us-millennials-sends-prices-higher/">Demand in Canada is also up for species like octopus.</a> While bugs have yet to make it into the mainstream the way octopus is beginning to, they are regularly included in meals in countries like China, Mexico and Thailand.</p>
<p>At the core of it all, Loblaw’s primary motivation is likely to test whether some efficiencies can be enhanced by managing protein differently across global protein supply chains. </p>
<p>Even if several studies dispute the nutritional value of insects and don’t regard them as a viable source of protein, <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/07/19/climate-change-vegan-vegetarian-diet-humane-society/">animal protein remains under severe pressure</a>, as pro-livestock factions know only too well.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-changing-your-diet-could-save-animals-from-extinction-81061">How changing your diet could save animals from extinction</a>
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<p>Loblaw is also hedging against the questionable future of animal protein. </p>
<p>Health Canada will <a href="https://passport2017.ca/articles/new-food-guide-canada">be releasing a new food guide</a> and based on principles disclosed last fall by the public regulator, it seems Canadians will be invited to think twice about their level of consumption of proteins, specifically from meat and dairy. </p>
<p>Some consumers are uncomfortable with <a href="http://www.nfacc.ca/">current livestock practices</a> and have registered concerns around the environmental footprint, ethics and health value of meat.</p>
<h2>Roast beef? Or roasted crickets?</h2>
<p>Nonetheless, if crickets or other insects are to become part of our dietary way of life in Canada, it would probably be as a potent supplementary ingredient, not necessarily as a tasty snack.</p>
<p>It’s highly unlikely that grilled steaks, spicy chicken wings or juicy pork chops will be replaced by a plateful of roasted crickets any time soon, but ingredients sourced from the start of the food chain are starting to take their place in the retail market.</p>
<p>There are no short answers to economically relevant production models in food anymore. </p>
<p>But with sound research, we are slowly accepting the fact that protein intake can come in several forms — including from the chirping insects more commonly known for lulling us to sleep on summer nights.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93573/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sylvain Charlebois does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Canada’s biggest grocery chain is now selling cricket flour under its revered private label. Here’s what that says about contemporary eating habits.Sylvain Charlebois, Professor in Food Distribution and Policy, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/704192017-01-10T19:53:59Z2017-01-10T19:53:59ZEating insects has long made sense in Africa. The world must catch up<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151917/original/image-20170106-18644-1y3zadu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Africa is home to a rich diversity of edible insects like mopani worms.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/okelley/415936705/in/photolist-CKMuv-CKMmz-7qnzsq-cfTDe1-7qiEbi-9T1JnP-cstvZs-iDXdqt-9T4yBY">Flickr</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Eating insects is as old as <a href="http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/insectsasfood/the-human-use-of-insects-as-a-food-resource/">mankind</a>. Globally, 2 billion people consume insects, a practise known as entomophagy. It is more common in Africa than anywhere else <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x/abstract">in the world</a>. The continent is home to the richest diversity of edible insects – more than <a href="http://www.ksla.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Segenet-Kelemu.pdf">500 species</a> ranging from caterpillars (Lepidoptera) to termites (Isoptera), locusts, grasshoppers, crickets (Orthoptera), ants and bees (Hymenoptera), bugs (Heteroptera and Homoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera). </p>
<p>The dominant insect eating countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa. The most commonly eaten insects include <a href="http://www.smallstarter.com/browse-ideas/top-4-most-eaten-insects-in-africa-and-why-insect-farming-is-a-huge-business-opportunity/">caterpillars, termites, crickets and palm weevils</a>.</p>
<p>Scientists have <a href="http://besa.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/1/22">long proposed</a> insects as feed or foodstuff for animals. But views about entomophagy differ widely: food conscious lobbies and scientists promote insects as <a href="http://www.afsca.be/foodstuffs/insects/">novel foods</a> while at the other extreme people view eating insects <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e03.pdf">as crazy</a>. Between those two extremes are communities that have been practising entomophagy for ages.</p>
<p>Most edible insects are harvested from the wild. Little effort has been put into how they could be mass produced and used as a source of protein more generally. To do this, it’s important that the biodiversity of edible insects is understood better, and that indigenous knowledge is uncovered.</p>
<p>To get even this far, however, attitudes to entomophagy need to change. The Food and Agriculture Organisation, anticipating scarcities of agricultural land and water as well as nutrients as the world’s population increases, has spearheaded a fierce <a href="http://www.fao.org/edible-insects/en/">propaganda campaign</a> promoting the benefits of entomophagy. Despite this there is still a reluctance to use insects as food. Added to this is the fact that current biodiversity conservation efforts unfortunately overlook the world of insects. </p>
<p>This needs to change.</p>
<h2>What’s in a name?</h2>
<p>Documenting indigenous knowledge systems would be a useful way to promote entomophagy. One of the challenges is that African dialects don’t necessarily provide descriptions that could be used in scientific knowledge. Often species are described based on visual features according to the host plants they feed off or the seasons in which they occur. </p>
<p>By contrast, the French term for insect – <em>la bestiole</em> – refers generally to a variety of disgusting insects like flies, cockroaches, bugs or even spiders (which of course are not insects) unfit for human consumption.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151841/original/image-20170105-18653-7lk2y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Africans have never considered edible insects as pests or a nuisance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But people living in Africa have never considered edible insects as pests or a nuisance. Perhaps we need to think of a new appellation for edible insects to kill the disgust factor. A simple language analogy between 30 ethnic groups in 12 sub-Saharan countries provided tentative names for edible termites. These are, <em>“Tsiswa”</em>, <em>“Chiswa”</em>, <em>“Chintuga”</em>, <em>“Inswa”</em>, <em>“Iswa”</em>, <em>“Sisi”</em>, <em>“Ishwa”</em> or <em>“Esunsun”</em>. Any of these indigenous names could be used to market termite based products.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/151925/original/image-20170106-18644-a0fxpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=583&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Map showing hotspots of edible insects in Africa.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Saliou Niassy</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Opportunities and success stories</h2>
<p>Insects are rich in nutrients such as <a href="http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/10.3920/JIFF2014.0011">amino acids</a>, which are often absent in conventional foods. They have been used as such for ages by indigenous communities like the Mofu living at the border between Cameroon and Nigeria in the Mandara area, the Nganda people living in tropical forests in the DRC and Bushmen in Namibia and South Africa. They can be used as food and also as feed for other <a href="http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/abs/10.3920/JIFF2015.0088">animals or medicine</a>. </p>
<p>Given their nutritional value and their potential for mass production, insects could help address the challenge of food security. New entrepreneurship and business opportunities can be incubated in the food and feed systems and pharmaceuticals sectors. This in turn would lead to job creation.</p>
<p>Examples of this potential already exist. The caterpillar <em>Cirina sp</em> is among the most popular edible insects in west Africa. An enterprise, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_8daR_NgVo">FasoPro</a>, has developed various products using the insects to contribute <a href="https://www.wfp.org/countries/burkina-faso/overview">to food security in Burkina Faso</a>. Their business model is inclusive, involving local people. </p>
<p>In the DRC a Food and Agricultural Organisation funded project trained hundreds of farmers to domesticate the palm grubs <em>Rhynchonphorus sp</em> <a href="http://www.congogreencitizen.org/index.php/component/k2/item/294-bientot-les-elevages-d-insectes-pour-nourrir-les-rd-congolais">“Mpose”</a>. This initiative contributed to reducing the clearing of palm ecosystems during harvesting of the valued insect. The same experience has been reported in <a href="http://livingforest.org/rhynchophorus-phoenicis/">Cameroon</a>.</p>
<p>But the potential remains largely untapped. Many countries on the continent are eagerly searching for alternative protein sources for animal feed. This is particularly noticeable in the poultry sector where the growing scarcity of resources to produce the ingredients needed for feed has led to an increase in feed costs. Insects could provide a solution.</p>
<p>The major challenge, however, is perception. To uncover the real value of insects, strong education programmes are needed. This can be done through a structured framework covering both inventory, technology upscaling, safety, processing and legislation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70419/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saliou Niassy is the secretary of the African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sunday Ekesi receives funding from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology. He is also a member of the African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS).</span></em></p>Insects have often been described with words like “disgusting” and the idea of eating them horrifies some people. But this needs to change as they can be an important food source.Saliou Niassy, Project Manager, University of Pretoria, PostGraduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of PretoriaSunday Ekesi, Principal Scientist and Head of the Plant Health Theme, International Centre of Insect Physiology and EcologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/665222016-10-06T10:31:23Z2016-10-06T10:31:23ZIt’s not just the ‘yuck factor’ that puts people off eating insects<p>There’s a lot of hype around edible insects. Insects are being championed as a <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">healthy and sustainable</a> alternative to conventional protein sources in Europe and the US, and “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/can-insects-go-from-pests-to-popular-snack-foods/2015/04/16/d496bafc-e372-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html">ento-prising</a>” new products are appearing almost every week. <a href="http://www.critter-bitters.com/">Cricket-based cocktail bitters</a>, anyone?</p>
<p>Of course, these new bug-based foods aren’t for everyone. In fact, in Western societies, they’re still <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/venessawong/are-crickets-the-new-lobster">not eaten by many people</a> at all. But why is this, if they’re so good for us and for the planet?</p>
<p>First of all, there’s the “yuck factor”. According to many <a href="http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/abs/10.3920/JIFF2015.0029">researchers</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/05/eating-insects-should-part-sustainable-diet-future-report">commentators</a>, one of the main stumbling blocks is individual psychology – the stigma, aversion or disgust that many people in the West feel towards the idea of eating insects, and the subsequent rejection of insects as food. </p>
<p>Daniella Martin, a US <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Edible-Adventure-Eating-Insects-Planet/dp/0544114353">advocate</a> for insect consumption, has called this “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/can-insects-go-from-pests-to-popular-snack-foods/2015/04/16/d496bafc-e372-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html">the biggest obstacle</a>” to Western acceptance of insects as food.</p>
<p>If only we <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/eating-insects-yuck-factor-un-report">could convince people</a> to change their attitudes, the argument runs, then Westerners would all be snacking on <a href="http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/08/13/fried-mexican-grasshoppers-chapulines-will-knock-you-out-of-a-taco-rut/">chapuline grasshoppers</a> rather than chicken nuggets.</p>
<p>However, this focus on individual psychology is problematic. It seems that the emphasis given to the yuck factor (or “ick factor”, as it’s also sometimes called) may be too great. Efforts to convince the unwilling public to eat insects may also not be the right approach to encourage wider acceptance.</p>
<h2>New foods and early adopters</h2>
<p>In the past, when new foods arrived in Western societies, the general public didn’t just suddenly decide to “accept” them following information campaigns or advertising. Research on the successful introduction of new foods <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Economy-Globalization-Making-Delicacy/dp/1592403638">such as sushi</a> – or even, once upon a time, <a href="http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781780234403">tea</a> – suggests instead that they were first integrated into the diets of a handful of early adopters. This creates a relatively small but established market from which more widespread acceptance gradually develops. As such, it is probably more important to focus on people who are already willing to eat insects, rather than trying to convince those that aren’t.</p>
<p>But, crucially, the willingness of early adopters to eat a new food is not usually sufficient to encourage its wider uptake. Getting people to continue to eat a new food also depends on them being easily able to afford and access that food. It must also be easy enough for people to integrate the food into their existing culinary routines. And obviously the food needs to taste sufficiently good for people to choose to eat it instead of something else. </p>
<p>Successful establishment of a new food, no matter how unusual, relies on quite mundane and conventional considerations such as price, taste, availability, and how easily people can cook with it.</p>
<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.023">My research</a> found that the same principles apply to the <a href="http://www.damhert.be/en/shop/insecta">insect burgers</a> and other insect-based convenience foods which have been on sale in Jumbo, a Dutch supermarket chain, since late 2014.</p>
<h2>Going Dutch</h2>
<p>The Netherlands is a leading light in efforts to develop insects as a sustainable new food source in Europe. Academics from Wageningen University were behind a <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">landmark report</a> on the subject from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2013, and – in addition to working on a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c6876390-75f2-11e0-82c6-00144feabdc0">€1m research project</a> on the use of insects as a sustainable protein source – have produced an <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-insect-cookbook/9780231166843">insect cookbook</a> and given <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/marcel_dicke_why_not_eat_insects">TED talks</a>. Yet despite the relative prominence of edible insect advocacy, science, and products in the Netherlands, the uptake of the insect-based foods available there remains low.</p>
<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.023">My research</a> found that among a group of willing early adopters of insect-based convenience foods, only a handful repeatedly consumed the products, because many of the social, contextual and practical requirements necessary to ensure repeat consumption were not met. People’s “<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329316301331">willingness to eat</a>” insects was generally high, but this alone did not account for how insects were (or were not) being integrated into their diets.</p>
<h2>Anyone for seconds?</h2>
<p>Much existing research in this area focuses on forecasting people’s initial willingness to eat insects, but downplays the influence that social context has on food consumption once foods are actually available in stores. Studies assume that if you <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329316301331">show people pictures of imaginary insect foods</a>, ask them to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.20847/full">imagine being in a shop where insects are available</a>, or ask them to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095032931630091X">sample insect burgers</a> in a lab, that this will reveal their consistent attitudes towards insect eating – something that will later be reflected in their food choices. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"783233123085496320"}"></div></p>
<p>But this isn’t necessarily the case. In the “real life” context of shopping and cooking, food consumption – whether for insects or more conventional products – tends to be determined by the social, contextual and practical factors such as the ones I have mentioned above. Indeed, the idea that an individual’s diet is primarily the result of a series of rational cost/benefit decisions <a href="http://www.academia.edu/download/30930555/Limited_Autonomy_of_the_Consumer.pdf">has been criticised</a> by social scientists investigating sustainable consumption, who argue that consumption is always affected by the many <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/8/794/htm">interrelated, routine social practices</a> in which individuals participate.</p>
<p>So, although you may be motivated to eat insect products because of their healthiness or sustainability, a range of competing factors will ultimately affect whether insect products actually end up on your plate: when and where you shop, who you eat with and what other food you eat will all play a part.</p>
<p>These social and practical factors are not as newsworthy as the yuck factor or soundbite-friendly surveys projecting people’s <a href="http://www.tiny-farms.com/blog/a-third-of-us-consumers-likely-to-buy-insect-foods">likelihood of buying insect products</a>. But my research suggests that how people are going to regularise their consumption of insect products will need to be a more important focus for both commercial and academic attention if insect foods are ever really going to fly.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66522/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonas House's PhD research receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, grant number ES/J500215/1. </span></em></p>If bug-based foods are so good for the planet, why isn’t everyone eating them?Jonas House, PhD Candidate in Human Geography, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/664042016-10-05T02:12:31Z2016-10-05T02:12:31ZReview: Bugs on the Menu at the Environmental Film Festival<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/140414/original/image-20161005-20230-81pujl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Crunchy, and sustainable</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Entomophagy image from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Bugs are on the menu in Canadian filmmaker Ian Toews’ <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5139800/">documentary</a> screening at the Environmental Film Festival Australia this month. The film promotes that the view that bugs can provide a more sustainable way of food (particularly protein) production for an expanding human population.</p>
<p>“Entomophagy”, or the human consumption of insects and insect-derived products, has been practised by cultures around the world for centuries, but the film highlights how mainly western eating habits now eat many fewer insects.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fuKiDHJZIMQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>The figures presented in the film to support eating more insects are hard to argue with. Bugs are a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_farming">nutritious food source</a> that can consist of more than 40% protein by dry weight as well as being high in vitamins, iron and calcium. </p>
<p>Crickets and other edible insects are much more efficient at converting grains into protein and fat than some other meat sources; the film claims they are more than twice as efficient as chickens and seven times as efficient as cattle. Although <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118785#abstract0">research comparing chickens and insects</a> shows it depends on how the insects are farmed.</p>
<p>They also require minimal water, unlike livestock. The film claims that five- to seven-times more people could be fed on an insect diet when compared to a current western diet, although this comparison presumably depends on a western diet including <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212371713000024">inefficient energy converters</a> like cattle and sheep, rather than chickens. </p>
<p>The documentary also makes a strong case for insect production being compatible with urbanisation, given that cricket farms can be established in many large buildings. </p>
<p>However, comparisons in the film are limited to other forms of meat production, and not to plant-based human diets that are also <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/660S.full">far more sustainable</a> than current western consumption patterns. </p>
<h2>Shifting tastes</h2>
<p>Presenters in the film are individuals who avidly support eating more bugs in North America. These include a celebratory chef, entrepreneurs, an administrator and insect farmers. The author of “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eat-A-Bug_Cookbook">The Eat-A-Bug</a>” cook book, David George Gordon, declares on screen that “we are weirdos for not eating them (bugs)”. </p>
<p>The film does reference international efforts to evaluate the potential for entomophagy including a detailed <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm">UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report</a> but the film is mainly a promotion piece for eating insects in North America. </p>
<p>Western attitudes to insect consumption are seen as a key stumbling block, although entrepreneurs in the film are upbeat and argue that there has been a remarkable shift in (US) attitudes in the last four years around entomophagy. Although a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666316302902">survey</a> carried out in the Netherlands paints a bleaker picture. </p>
<p>The film highlights approaches that might be used to increase acceptance in western societies. Small start-ups are creating insect-derived food bars, chips (“Chirps”) and other packaged food for consumption in the US. </p>
<p>Some of these are being funded through kick starter projects and have catchy insect related names like <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sixfoods/six-foods-introducing-chirps-cricket-chips">Six (legged) Foods</a>. Cricket flour seems to be key ingredient, perhaps because it looks least like an insect-derived product.</p>
<p>For a more traditional approach to entomophagy, the film covers grasshopper collecting in South Africa and ant harvesting in Mexico. But some traditional practices appear to be dying particularly among young people pursuing western lifestyles. </p>
<p>Presenters argue that large scale and innovative production facilities are needed to increase entomophagy, but there are challenges in cultivating insects mentioned briefly in the film. </p>
<p>It appears only a few insect species can currently be grown on a large scale. Established insect growers tell of issues with viruses destroying colonies but the start-ups appear undaunted. Other challenges mentioned in the film include a lack of regulation around safety. </p>
<p>Still, it appears that insects have been part of human diets for much of our evolutionary history. A presenter points out that we have a key enzyme, chitanase, required to break down the exoskeleton of insects, although this <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612335/">enzyme also has other functions</a>. </p>
<p>Overall, while the film is a promotion piece, filled with (too) many shots of pristine streams and forests (presumably to highlight sustainability), it does make a strong case for considering entomophagy as a serious alternative to meat consumption in all cultures. </p>
<h2>How to eat insects</h2>
<p>In Australia, you can <a href="http://www.ediblebugshop.com.au/">buy edible bugs online</a> and they are occasionally served up as a novelty item in some restaurants. Our Indigenous population has been eating <a href="http://ojs.ethnobiology.org/index.php/ebl/article/view/399">a diversity of bugs</a> for thousands of years including witchetty grubs, honey ants and Bogong moths. </p>
<p>Most Australians are only likely to have encountered crickets, mealworms, larvae and other delicacies in Asian markets and not locally. </p>
<p>As in the US there are <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i1380e/I1380e01.pdf">major challenges</a> if insect consumption is to increase in Australia, including regulation and production methods that are less labour intensive than currently available. </p>
<p>Insects that eat plants can be highly toxic, accumulating toxins, perhaps to protect against predators. It is therefore critical that appropriate species are produced and consumed. This requires ongoing research into insect biodiversity and production systems. </p>
<p>Still, we live in a country with an increasingly variable climate where agricultural production is becoming more difficult. Perhaps factory-farmed bugs can increase our food security into the future. </p>
<p>The next time a locust plague <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/locusts/about/history">threatens our environment</a> they should perhaps be seen as an opportunity for developing a new local food source rather than a threat to farming. </p>
<p><em>Bugs on the Menu will be screening at the <a href="http://www.effa.org.au/">Environmental Film Festival Australia</a> in <a href="http://www.effa.org.au/brisbane-program/">Brisbane</a> (October 14), <a href="http://www.effa.org.au/canberra-program/">Canberra</a> (October 15), and <a href="http://www.effa.org.au/sydney-program/">Sydney</a> (October 21).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66404/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ary Hoffmann receives funding from the Australian Research Council and from the National Health and Medical Research Council as well as the Grains Research and Development Corporation and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. </span></em></p>Humans have eaten insects for centuries, but western diets seem to have lost the taste for them.Ary Hoffmann, Professor, School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/490782015-10-22T05:10:48Z2015-10-22T05:10:48ZBug burgers, anyone? Why we’re opening the UK’s first insect restaurant<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/99210/original/image-20151021-15416-19w3tow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Applying the finishing touches to some toasted chilli crickets & wild garlic hummus on rye bread.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Grub Kitchen</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s a buzz in the air at the moment, and it’s all about “<a href="http://www.insectsarefood.com/what_is_entomophagy.html">entomophagy</a>”. If you’ve not heard this word before, it simply means the human practice of eating insects. Western governments are keen as it has huge potential for feeding growing numbers of people (and the livestock they eat) sustainably, while on the street people are daring to try novel and exotic foods.</p>
<p>Despite the exotic label, entomophagy is nothing new. Two billion people eat insects every day, just not in the West. In fact, insects are extremely good for you and eating them is <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21620560-merits-and-challenges-turning-bugs-food-insect-mix-and-health">good for the planet</a> too. That’s why Andy Holcroft and I are starting up <a href="http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/UK-s-first-insect-restaurant-opening-this-summer">Grub Kitchen</a>, the UK’s first restaurant with insects on the menu full-time. </p>
<p>We want to champion insects as a sustainable source of protein in modern diets and have been planning the collaboration for some years. I’m a scientist and farmer, researching sustainable food production and the importance of insects in agriculture. In 2013, I set up <a href="http://www.thebugfarm.co.uk">Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm</a>, a research and education centre and 100-acre working farm, combined with a visitor attraction all about insects and sustainable agriculture. Andy is an award-winning chef, who has become more and more disillusioned with the unsustainability of conventional restaurants. Working together gives us the opportunity to explore the food chain from field to fork.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/99200/original/image-20151021-15426-xqdec3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mealworm, cricket & grasshopper burger – with its ingredients.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A healthier alternative</h2>
<p>But why try changing people’s eating habits? By 2050 humans will require <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/ap106e/ap106e.pdf">70% more food, 120% more water and 42% more crop land</a>. Meat production is predicted to double and, to meet current environmental targets, impacts of livestock on the environment will need to halve. Conventional livestock production is land and water thirsty: farmed animals graze 30% of the earth’s land and consume 8% of all water usage mediated by humans. This comes at a drastic cost to our environment and is why we need additional, or alternative, protein sources with lower environmental costs. Bring on the insects.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=891&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1120&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1120&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98549/original/image-20151015-30744-1e6563s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1120&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some ants with your crickets, sir?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.epa.eu/economy-business-and-finance-photos/consumer-goods-photos/inflation-hit-cambodians-mull-eating-rats-snails-puppy-dog-tails-photos-01484413">EPA/Mark Remissa</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A recent <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">Food and Agriculture Organisation</a> report suggested that there are more than 1,000 known species of edible insect, offering an Aladdin’s Cave of <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-edible-insects-you-really-should-try-17672">flavours and textures</a>. Insects breed quickly and require very little space, or water. This makes farming them <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703293204576106072340020728">extremely efficient</a>. For example, it takes about 3,290 litres of water to produce a 150g beef burger: the equivalent insect burger requires less than a pint.</p>
<p>Insects <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-edible-insects-you-really-should-try-17672">are also extremely nutritious</a>. They contain lots of calcium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids and are low in cholesterol. They’re also packed full of protein. Weight for weight, crickets can contain more protein than beef and are <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153704">12 to 25 times more efficient</a> in converting their feed into food for us.</p>
<p>Some insects such as black flies can even <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/09/19/223728061/making-food-from-flies-its-not-that-icky">convert our own waste into food</a>, or at least into feed for farmed animals. Indeed, feeding insects to livestock may be a first step to incorporating them into the UK food chain.</p>
<h2>Insects aren’t just reality show freak food</h2>
<p>Using insects to feed chickens, pigs and fish is one thing, but convincing the British public to try them will be more challenging. At Grub Kitchen, we want to move away from the idea of eating insects as novelty items, or as a dare, as popularised by certain <a href="http://www.itv.com/imacelebrity/bushtucker-trials">television programmes</a>.</p>
<figure> <img src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/326552/slide_326552_3143708_free.gif"><figcaption>Insect-eating can be more pleasant than this. _Source: ITV/HuffPost_</figcaption></figure>
<p>Diners will be able to eat insects in all forms, from an insect taster plate to our signature bug burgers or cricket cookies. There will be whole insects on the menu, but many people will be put off by the various legs, antennae and eyes so we will offer options where insects are incorporated into dishes: ground up and used as flour or burger mince. </p>
<p>Though the industry is growing there are still several barriers to mass production. Currently the UK allows you to farm insects for human consumption. However, insects are categorised as “farmed animals”, which means <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/farm-animal-welfare-at-slaughter">we can’t slaughter them where they are reared</a>. Parts of insects, such as legs or wings, are considered novel foods and so undergo stringent safety testing but we can use whole insects in food so long as we carry out “due diligence”. We’re also banned from feeding insects to livestock entering the human food chain. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"480466864469192704"}"></div></p>
<p>It’s clear we still have a lot to learn. We’re still not sure whether humans have the correct gut microflora to make the most of <a href="http://time.com/3824917/crickets-sustainable-protein/">insect protein</a>, for instance, and we need to find out more about potential allergies. For now, if you’re allergic to house dust mites or shellfish then it’s best to avoid eating insects – but this isn’t yet based on much research.</p>
<p>In the UK, we’re awaiting a decision as to whether the Food Standards Agency counts insects as “<a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/science/novel/faqs">novel food</a>”; a decision which will impact the entire industry. If the agency agrees that there is enough evidence that insects were eaten before 1997 then the food will be subject to fewer regulations.</p>
<p>So, brace yourselves, you may be seeing insects on the supermarket shelves before long and you’re welcome to come and dine at Grub Kitchen later in the year. However, even if you don’t think that you want to veer into the world of entomophagy, I’m afraid I’ve got news for you: <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/SanitationTransportation/ucm056174.htm#CHPTA">you already are</a>. You may be eating up to 60 fragments of insects in every 100g of chocolate and whenever you eat a fig, you are eating remnants of a fig wasp.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49078/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Beynon is the sole Director of Dr Beynon's Bug Farm Ltd. She is affiliated with the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. She has received funding from UK public bodies, including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).</span></em></p>Insects are a healthy and sustainable source of protein. It’s time foodies appreciated them too.Sarah Beynon, Research Associate, Community Ecology, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/457262015-08-13T04:57:58Z2015-08-13T04:57:58ZStop bugging the bugs: the world as we know it would fall apart without them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91637/original/image-20150812-18104-1boqbn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Insects are key to holding the food chain together. Without them, much of what we eat today won't exist.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pia Addison</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Just under one million insect species have been <a href="http://www.amnh.org/ology/features/askascientist/question21.php">identified</a> on the planet. Global insect species diversity makes up more than half of all other species diversity on earth. Estimates of actual species richness range from a realistic four to six million to an extravagant 80 million species. But insects are continuously evolving, so we will never really know. </p>
<p>Insects are characterised by having three pairs of legs, two pairs of wings – which are sometimes reduced or absent – and three body segments: the head, thorax and abdomen. And they change their appearance during development in a process known as <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metamorphosis">metamorphosis</a>.</p>
<p>If all the insects on the planet were put together they would weigh more than humans put together. It is estimated that total insect biomass is 300 times greater than total human <a href="http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmnh/buginfo/bugnos.htm">biomass</a>. Ants and termites alone are estimated to weigh <a href="http://mic.com/articles/84681/this-is-exactly-how-much-weight-humans-take-up-on-earth-compared-to-other-animals">more</a> than humans. These are estimates – insect biomass measures can be contentious because solid data are scarce.</p>
<p>There are many things that humans take for granted that would be affected if there were no insects. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91638/original/image-20150812-11849-1in7mtm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ants and termites play a key role in the world we live in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pia Addison</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Bugs hold the food chain together</h2>
<p>Our total food supply would be severely restricted without insects. We would suffer from a variety of deficiencies as we would have very little fresh fruit and vegetables to eat. Insects are pollinators and many crop yields would suffer if they didn’t exist. Certain products like silk and honey would simply not <a href="http://insected.arizona.edu/manduca/Insects.html">exist</a>.</p>
<p>The food chain would <a href="http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/a-world-without-insects/">diminish</a>. There would be no birds, or any other animals that rely on insects as food.</p>
<p>The world would be littered with decomposing organic material. The consequence would be complete degradation of our soils. All remaining life would subsequently disappear.</p>
<p>If that was not enough and if we were still alive, creativity would suffer. Insects are an inspiration for artists, for movies and documentaries. They are studied by engineers and scientists to find out how we can be more sustainable and efficient in our everyday lives. </p>
<h2>Survival mechanisms</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91635/original/image-20150812-13700-1jcu935.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parasitic wasp sitting on a codling moth egg (which measures about 1mm across).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nadine Wahner</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The smallest insect is a <a href="http://www.termite-control-glendale.com/blog/pest-control-worlds-smallest-insect-tanzanian-parasitic-wasp/418/">parasitic wasp</a>, measuring in at a staggering 139 micrometres. Like so many insects it is not visible to the naked eye. Insects can be found in seeds, grasses, flowering plants or soil, or they could be parasitising the insects that feed on the plants. You would then find other insects parasitising the insects that parasitise the plant eaters.</p>
<p>Insects are highly adaptable to environmental change and have well-structured <a href="http://www.biology-resources.com/insect-structure.html">sensory systems</a>, comparable to vertebrates. Due to their short life cycles vinegar flies, aphids and mosquitoes can complete their entire life cycle, from egg to adult, in less than seven days. They are able to respond to change much <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24078179">faster</a> than animals with longer life stages. </p>
<p>That is why insects can become resistant to insecticides so quickly. The housefly developed <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1950.tb01050.x/pdf">resistance</a> to the insecticide DDT in 1947 eight years after it was developed for the first time. </p>
<p>Today, insecticide resistance is developing much faster due to the large variety of chemistry that insects are exposed to providing increasing selection pressures.</p>
<h2>The cleverest trick of them all</h2>
<p>Insects are well known for having intricate relationships with plants and with other insects. As the plants change, so do they. This co-evolution has been going on for about 360 million years when the first insects <a href="http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0001762.html">evolved</a>. This is considerably longer than the first humans Homo erectus evolved, some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution">two million years ago</a>. </p>
<p>That many insects can fly is a major asset. They can disperse quicker, get out of danger faster and reach food sources more efficiently. The fastest wing beat in an insect – a midge – has been recorded at <a href="http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/walker/ufbir/chapters/chapter_09.shtml">1046 beats persecond</a>, attributed to asynchronous muscle contractions. </p>
<p>In comparison, the fastest wing beat of a bird (the hummingbird) is <a href="http://ask.metafilter.com/205631/Whats-faster-than-a-hummingbirds-wings">55 beats per second</a>. The fastest flier is a <a href="https://top5ofanything.com/list/928c1786/Fastest-Flying-Insects-on-Earth">horsefly</a>, clocking 145km/hour.</p>
<p>Insects have external not internal skeletons. Their hard armour serves as a point for muscle attachment, protects them from drying out and from <a href="http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/tutorial/integ.html">toxins</a> getting into their systems. For heavily sclerotised insects – like beetles, which are among the most <a href="http://bioteaching.com/beetles-the-most-successful-animals/">successful</a> insects – the external skeleton also protects them from predation. </p>
<p>Beetles exhibit probably the highest diversity of all insects, the reason for which still remains a riddle. Spines and other strange designs offer defence mechanisms and camouflage. </p>
<p>Lastly insects are able to drastically change their appearance during their development. Immature stages of butterflies look like worms. They then become a pupae, while the adult is winged. Adult butterflies and moths rarely feed, often only taking in small amounts of water or nectar.</p>
<p>Many adult insects do not possess <a href="http://www.livescience.com/21933-moth-week-facts.html">mouth</a> parts at all. The evolutionary advantage of this is that adults do not compete with their offspring for food and therefore exploit different habitats, providing a reproductive advantage.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pia Addison receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF), fruit industry partners, including HortGro Science, Citrus Research International, Winetech, SASRI and SATI.</span></em></p>Without insects the food chain would diminish and we would have very little fruit and vegetables to eat.Pia Addison, Senior Lecturer in Insect Diversity, Stellenbosch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188052013-10-08T05:15:13Z2013-10-08T05:15:13ZInsects are key for food security in a growing world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/32602/original/j8j9kc63-1381170662.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A couple of these and a nice chianti.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Severin Tchibozo</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Protein is a shrinking part of the diets of humans and animals. The deficiency is spreading rapidly across the world, but is particularly pronounced in Africa, even though many sources of protein can be found there. What the UN calls <a href="http://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/en/">Non-Wood Forest Products</a> include a group of foods that can help to ensure global food security. Nuts, berries, plants like <a href="http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa">moringa</a> - the vitamin-rich, so-called “miracle tree” - and also <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm">edible insects</a> all provide a boost to dietary protein in a way that countries elsewhere in Africa and the world could learn from.</p>
<p>As global demand for meat grows it becomes increasingly important to find higher yield food sources that are both nutritious and environmentally sound. Producing them produces <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/05/daily-chart-11">fewer greenhouse gases</a> than rearing livestock or poultry.</p>
<p>Terrestrial vertebrates such as cattle have always been part of daily life or humans, providing food in times of plenty and in famine. But invertebrates such as insects have a place in that history too. As far back as the days of the Old Testament, <a href="http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Leviticus-11-22/">Moses told the Hebrews</a>: “Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.”</p>
<p>So since the time of our ancestors, insects have been part of the human diet and oral tradition, one of the foods that can sometimes replace meat in households. In modern times they have even made a reappearance as part of the <a href="http://robbwolf.com/2013/07/10/true-paleo-protein/">Paleo diet</a> – which supposedly replicates the eating habits of cavemen – and will be vital in the future.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/32600/original/xr2k39dt-1381170222.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Caterpillars and grubs are more protein rich than steaks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Severin Tchibozo</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Africa, insects feature regularly in the diets of people living in both rural and urban areas. Crickets are popular in Niger, caterpillars are enjoyed in the Central African Republic and Congo, and winged termites are eaten in many countries. Several species of weevil are much sought after and can fetch high prices in urban markets. Evidence gathered in the field shows that at least 23 species of insect are eaten. </p>
<p>But deforestation and global changes mean that there are fewer and fewer to harvest from the wild. Some species are becoming rare and others are threatened with extinction. So it’s vital to continue to carry out inventories of edible species, establish through biochemical analysis their nutritional quality, and to start trying to rear them commercially as foodstuffs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/18805/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Severin Tchibozo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Protein is a shrinking part of the diets of humans and animals. The deficiency is spreading rapidly across the world, but is particularly pronounced in Africa, even though many sources of protein can be…Severin Tchibozo, Tropical agronomist and manager, Research Center for Biodiversity Management, University d'Abomey-Calavi de BéninLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/176722013-09-02T05:39:21Z2013-09-02T05:39:21ZFive edible insects you really should try<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30348/original/d9qjg3q5-1377855125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C3%2C1017%2C682&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Better than Burger King?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Siim Teller</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Edible insects are great alternatives to conventional sources of meat as they’re cheap, plentiful and excellent sources of protein and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals. </p>
<p>In many countries, eating insects doesn’t raise eyebrows. How palatable they appear to a person is largely determined by culture. </p>
<p>Analyses of insects also show huge variation in nutritional value and composition - between species, their stages of development and even due to the insects’ diet.</p>
<p>With around <a href="http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Expertise-Services/Chair-groups/Plant-Sciences/Laboratory-of-Entomology/Edible-insects/Worldwide-species-list.htm">2000 edible insect species</a> worldwide, those below are some of the better alternatives to eat.</p>
<h2>Grasshoppers</h2>
<p>Protein is the major component of insects, and grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (Orthoptera) stand out. Top protein providers are the grasshoppers known as chapulines in Mexico that have a protein content of up to 77.13%. And their protein values are many times higher than the plants the chapulines commonly feed on including corn, bean and alfalfa. </p>
<p>The collection of these grasshoppers from agricultural fields in favour of using pesticides would not only control them as pests and reduce soil and water contamination but also provide additional food and income. </p>
<p>Chapulines are usually eaten with guacamole and tortillas.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30354/original/79dk8k3q-1377856531.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tostadas chapulines con huitlacoche.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Carnival King 08</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Palm grubs</h2>
<p>These soft-bodied larvae of palm weevils (beetles) are widely consumed in the Americas (<em>Rhynchophorus palmarum</em>), south-east Asia (<em>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</em>) and tropical Africa (<em>Rhynchophorus phoenicis</em>). </p>
<p>Larvae of the African palm weevil contain up to 69.78% fat. Because they are fried in their own fat, they don’t need any extra oil. But they’re also eaten raw.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wVy2QsFqdYI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Cultivation of grubs in Indonesia.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fat is the second major component of insects and constitutes the most energy-dense macronutrient in food. </p>
<p>Among the animal-based foods eaten by the Aché people of eastern Paraguay, these grubs are the best energy providers - even better than honey - and so palm grubs are like natural energy bars. </p>
<p>Unsaturated fatty acids (the good ones) are the ones also generally predominant in edible insects, and they also contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids (the really good ones) than poultry and fish. <em>Rhynchophorus phoenicis</em> is rich in these polyunsaturated fatty acids and also contains linoleic and α-linolenic acids - two essential fatty acids particularly important for the healthy development of children and babies. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30349/original/x56mj68v-1377855297.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sago grubs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hegariz</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some indigenous peoples in south-east Asia already semi-cultivate palm grubs - like the sago grub (<em>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</em>), which feeds on the sago palm. They fell palm trees deliberately for the palm weevil larvae to grow, and between one to three months later up to 100 grubs can be found in a single trunk. Easier indoor cultivation has been developed in Thailand.</p>
<p>Descriptions of texture and taste of the sago grub include creamy when raw and <a href="http://mehungry-phyllis.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/weird-food-wednesdays-sago-worm.html">sweet</a> when fried. </p>
<h2>Mopane worms (or caterpillars actually)</h2>
<p>Most edible insects have equal or higher iron contents than beef, which has an iron content of 6mg per 100g of dry weight, while the iron content of the mopane capterpillar (<em>Imbrasia belina</em>), for example, is 31–77mg per 100g. </p>
<p>The mopane caterpillar is one of the most consumed and economically valuable edible insects in southern Africa and could go some way to improving iron deficiency in the diet. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30350/original/ftxzcdgk-1377855429.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mopane and chilli bite anyone?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Greg Willis</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Iron deficiency is the world’s most common and <a href="http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ida/en/">widespread nutritional disorder</a> according to the World Health Organisation. In developing countries, around a half of all pregnant women and about 40% of pre-school children are believed to be anaemic (anaemia can be caused by iron deficiency).</p>
<p>Attempts to semi-cultivate and domesticate the mopane caterpillar for food has had positive results but many issues remain before they can be more widely used, for example their susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases.</p>
<h2>Mealworms</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=604&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30353/original/m69hznz4-1377856406.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Birds love them, but what about blokes?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">fs-phil</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mealworms are particularly interesting for western diets and mass-production. Their overall nutritional value is comparable to beef, they are endemic in temperate climates such as in Europe, and mass-rearing is already in place in the pet industry and for feeding birds. </p>
<p>Several companies that produce mealworms in the Netherlands are now using their knowledge and facilities <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/europe/15bugs.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">to mass-rear</a> mealworms for human food.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/30352/original/sn2ffmxv-1377856313.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Crunchy sprinkles: mealworm ice-cream.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ImipolexG</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Importantly, the <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0051145">ecological footprint</a> of mealworm production is much lower than that of beef, but also milk, chicken, and pork production. Although the production of mealworms requires similar amounts of energy, it has lower emissions of greenhouse gasses (for example less methane that you’d get in rearing cows) and requires much less land. Water use is also much lower.</p>
<p>Mealworms can easily be processed in foods. Preliminary results of experiments conducted at Wageningen University indicate that the texture and taste of processed foods that contain mealworms are very well accepted by western consumers.</p>
<h2>Black soldier flies maggots</h2>
<p>These flies are excellent both as human food and as animal feed. </p>
<p>Dried black soldier fly prepupae (maggots) contain 42% protein and 35% fat. Live prepupae consist of 44% dry matter and can easily be stored for long periods.</p>
<p>As a component of a complete diet, they have been found to support good growth in chicks, pigs, rainbow trout, channel catfish, and blue tilapia</p>
<p>When used as animal feed, the black soldier fly can also be reared on manure of poultry, pigs, and cattle which reduces manure mass, moisture content, offensive odours, and the pollution potential of manure by 50–60% (for example, chromium, copper, iron, lead, zinc), and can also reduce harmful bacteria such as E-coli and Salmonella. </p>
<p>Growing them is easy; either <a href="http://www.kisorganics.com/products/shop/bio-pod-plus-black-soldier-fly-composting">in the backyard</a> and as one recent invention shows, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2382034/Farm-432-machine-uses-maggots-grow-protein-home.html">also in the home</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/17672/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joost van Itterbeeck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Edible insects are great alternatives to conventional sources of meat as they’re cheap, plentiful and excellent sources of protein and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals. In many countries, eating insects…Joost van Itterbeeck, PhD student, Wageningen UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/143922013-06-10T20:23:39Z2013-06-10T20:23:39ZIcky insects are actually tasty treats that are good for you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25162/original/6968xbnb-1370502496.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Insects constitute a source of higher quality protein for humans than we can obtain from plants.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC World News</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the early 1980s, I was a member of a team of nutritionists who analysed bush food samples sent by “The Bush Tucker Man” (Major Les Hiddins) from northern Australia to the Defence Nutrition laboratory in Tasmania. </p>
<p>The foods had been identified by Aborigines as being edible, and therefore of potential interest to Defence as survival foods if Australia was ever invaded and troops were cut off from normal supply lines.</p>
<p>Among the many foods Les sent for analysis were several insects, including the witchetty grub, honey ant, scale insects and lerps. We found that these foods were generally of high nutritional value. </p>
<p>Witchetty grubs, for instance, are an ideal survival food, being rich in protein (15% by weight), fat (20%) and energy (~1170 kilojoules per 100 grams). Witchetty grubs are also valuable sources of vitamin B1 and the essential minerals potassium, magnesium and zinc.</p>
<h2>Swarming deliciousness</h2>
<p>It’s clear that insects played an important role in feeding hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of generations of Australian Aborigines. They have also figured prominently in the nutrition of human populations in many other parts of the world, and continue to do so. </p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00239.x/full">One estimate</a> is that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>approximately 1500–2000 species of insects and other invertebrates are consumed by 3000 ethnic groups across 113 countries in Asia, Australia, and Central and South America.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">recent report</a> by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that insects form part of the traditional diets of two billion people (nearly 30% of the world’s population). </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25158/original/yj5fnw5d-1370501266.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Insects form part of the traditional diets of two billion people around the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">kudomomo/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Globally, the most commonly consumed insects are beetles (31% of the total insects consumed), caterpillars (18%) and bees, wasps and ants (14%). Other commonly eaten insects include grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and cicadas. Termites, dragonflies and flies are not commonly used for human food (but are still eaten in small quantities).</p>
<p>The FAO report also notes that edible insects are shunned in most developed Western nations because they are regarded as being a nuisance to people (think mosquitoes and house flies) or pests that interfere with the production of crops and animals used as human food.</p>
<p>But this is only one side of the story — insects are a potential source of food at low cost (in terms of money and impact on the environment), they assist with food production (through pollination of important food plants, for instance), and play vital environmental roles.</p>
<p>As also pointed in the FAO report, arable land is already scarce, oceans are being over-fished, and climate change may impact adversely on food production. Unless we join the many traditional societies who make good use of insects as a food source, we may struggle to feed the additional two billion people <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population_estimates">expected to inhabit the planet</a> by 2050.</p>
<h2>Changing bad habits</h2>
<p>Much of the information in the FAO report is not new. For example, in 2009, a prominent Australian researcher in this area, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00239.x/full">Alan Yen pointed out</a> that people in developed societies derive much of their food from unsustainable practices, such as growing grain to feed beef cattle and over-exploiting the ocean’s fisheries. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25155/original/9b3bv8pg-1370501244.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Insects are very efficient converters of feed into body mass.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">katesheets/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yen also noted that protein malnutrition is already common in many parts of the world. And he claims that, because they are animals, insects constitute a source of higher quality protein for humans than we can obtain from plants.</p>
<p>Another advantage of insects as a food source is that they’re very efficient converters of feed into body mass. While cattle have variable “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_conversion_ratio">feed conversion rates</a>” that range somewhere between five and 20 kilograms of feed needed for each kilogram of weight gain, according to the FAO report, crickets require only two kilograms of feed for each kilogram of weight gain.</p>
<p>Currently, nearly all insects consumed by people are harvested from the wild; insect farming is still rare, but it’s becoming more common. The FAO report states that cricket farming is taking place in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Vietnam. </p>
<p>Industrial scale production is also on the horizon, with several companies “in various stages of start-up for rearing mass quantities of insects such as black soldier flies”.</p>
<h2>Crawling to a brighter future</h2>
<p>So are we ready to embrace insects as a mainstream food?</p>
<p>Well, you know that a food has a bright future in Australia when it’s mentioned in a magazine such as Gourmet Traveller. The May 2013 issue of this harbinger of food trends rates insects as one of the 100 hot items in world cuisine. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/25161/original/qnwzfbj7-1370502256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Now on restaurant menus in the developed world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">George Arriola</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It also states that chic eateries in Sydney are now offering insect-based menu items, such as the “stir-fried crickets” and “ni hao mealworm cakes” available at Billy Kwong (Kylie Kwong’s restaurant). Meanwhile, El Topo, a Mexican restaurant in Bondi offers “crisp crickets with chilli and garlic” as a bar snack.</p>
<p>It appears that the use of insects as a source of food for humans has not only a long history, but also a bright future.</p>
<h2>A parting anecdote</h2>
<p>In 1985, I attended a bush foods seminar that included a cooking demonstration by a leading Sydney chef. One of the foods he prepared was “witchetty grub cappuccino”. </p>
<p>It consisted of witchetty grubs blended with milk, and sprinkled with wattle seeds. Surprisingly, at least to me, it had a pleasant, slightly nutty taste.</p>
<p>It’s nearly 30 years since I last enjoyed eating an insect-based food. I think I’m ready to eat insects again if they are prepared in appetising ways.</p>
<p>Are you also ready to join the two billion people who make use of this environmentally-friendly and nutritious food source?</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y4LRlUMS70U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Witchetty grubs clip starts at 6:47 and ends at 8:50.</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/14392/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Forbes-Ewan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In the early 1980s, I was a member of a team of nutritionists who analysed bush food samples sent by “The Bush Tucker Man” (Major Les Hiddins) from northern Australia to the Defence Nutrition laboratory…Chris Forbes-Ewan, Senior Nutritionist, Defence Science and Technology OrganisationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.