The average person unintentionally consumes around 2 pounds of insects per year. Yes, this may sound disgusting, but it is a number that is likely to increase (with our knowledge and enthusiastic consent, of course) in the not-so-far-off future. As unappealing as it may seem, bugs just might be the food of the future.
As the human population continues to grow, so does the pressure modern agriculture places on the environment. Factory farming, an inhumane method of food production aimed at maximizing food output, is responsible for 14 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and, all told, contributes billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere every year. In addition to the disastrous environmental implications of such emissions, more than 26 percent of land is reserved for livestock grazing, and an additional one-third of our planet's farmable land is set aside to grow crops exclusively for livestock consumption.
Ironically, in our quest to feed an ever-growing population, we have impeded our ability to produce food at all, as the pressures of modern farming have all but exhausted our planet’s ability to sustain itself. As we push further into the 21st century, the challenges of feeding billions of people will only increase.
Now, more than ever, we must focus on finding a sustainable food source, and the solution just might be insects. Although understandably undesirable, promoting the broad consumption of insects would reduce much of the environmental damage inflicted by modern agriculture and farming, and could sustainably feed our population for generations to come.
Eating insects, commonly known as entomophagy, is not as uncommon as one might think. In fact, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 2 billion people, or close to a third of all humans, incorporate insects into their daily diet. Worldwide, more than 1,900 species of insects are regularly consumed, providing more variety than all other livestock combined. Despite all of this, the stigmatization of bugs — in the West, at least — has prevented their introduction into popular cuisine. However, if we are able to get over our prejudices and at the very least consider eating insects, we can begin to look at just how important they could be in reducing our carbon footprint and feeding our population responsibly.
Not surprisingly, bugs do not require a lot of food, and are not particular about what little food they do need. In fact, crickets, one of the most broadly consumed insects, require 12 times less food than cattle and half as much food as pigs to produce the same amount of protein. Furthermore, the diet of insects is not as restricted as that of livestock. In fact, some insects are able to thrive on nothing but waste — even human waste. In other words, instead of producing unmanageable amounts of manure — as livestock do — insects actively recycle in addition to being food, thus productively contributing to the environment themselves. Furthermore, while livestock farming emits immense amounts of pollutants into the air (cow farts, formally known as cattle belching, produce more methane than cars), insects release virtually none.
As if their environmental benefits weren’t enough, bugs are also incredibly nutritious. Because they are more easily harvested than livestock, insects could help make protein more accessible to more people, subsequently reducing world hunger. As the human population grows, this will be increasingly important.
In addition to having high zinc and iron contents, grasshoppers have the same amount of protein per kilogram as beef, but with far less fat, while mealworms are equitable in protein content to most types of fish. Some more adventurous scientists have also concluded that ants can taste like lemongrass, crickets have a nutty flavor and many bugs have the same culinary applications as tofu.
Although we have been conditioned by culture to be repulsed by insects, it may not be too long before we crave a bag of salted cricket legs or look forward to a salad topped with pine nuts, an apple vinaigrette and mealworms. This future might seem dystopian, but if we are to sustain the human population, it may be one we need to embrace.
Bon appetit!