Why eating more insects might be good for the planet and good for you



WHAT we eat is dictated as much by culture as by choice or necessity. If you ask a Westerner to name the most disgusting thing they have eaten, there is a good chance that a crunchy cricket or a chewy grub could be mentioned. Yet around 2 billion people (around 30% of the world's population) eat insects as part of their traditional diet says the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. In a new report, the FAO extols the merits of eating more of them. Meat has been the main source of protein in rich countries for years and consumption is increasing in middle-income countries such as China and Brazil, where eating meat is a signifier of wealth. But eating animals exacts a high toll on the planet. The bigger the beast, the more food, land and water is needed to produce the final edible product, resulting in higher greenhouse-gas emissions. A cow takes 8kg of feed to produce 1kg of beef, but only 40% of the cow can be eaten. Crickets require just 1.7kg of food to produce 1kg of meat, and 80% is considered edible. Insects are also high in protein, minerals and micronutrients. This is good news for epicurean Americans awaiting the imminent invasion of cicadas.