What is the intersect that binds the opinions of today’s scientists, foodies, environmentalists and sustainability experts when it comes to the future of food? If you said vegetarianism or veganism you’re off the mark. Rather, these groups are singing the praises of bugs and insects as the solution to our planet’s food security issue. There’s no shortage of rightfully concerning reports highlighting a potential crisis with regards to population growth forecasts and the inadequacies of our food production model in serving this increase.
With the current rate of urbanisation and the impacts of associated pollution, we are expected to see arable land capability decrease significantly while our population is set to rise to nearly 10 billion in the next 30 years. We will not have enough food to feed the population by maintaining our current production and distribution set up. A short supply scenario will also create a demand for food, driving prices up and making it unaffordable for bigger swathes of the population.
Food Vs. Population
A major concern amongst many is the spit of natural resources needed to both fuel population growth and produce food. There’s some promising work being done at the moment to use technology, automation and data to support future growth and distribute energy and water in a smarter optimised way thus cutting down on wastage and promoting conservation. Siemens has carried out its own work around clean air, smart buildings, water access and mobility. Cities like Dubai, London and Los Angeles are living examples of progress beacons when it comes to adapting smart infrastructure to support growth. So whilst we have made great progress in designing systems that can lessen our urban living impacts, established inroads towards a smart food system is still an elusive challenge.
A Healthy Diet To Thrive
With the looming population increases on the horizon, the challenge is not so much being able to feed the earth’s inhabitants than it is to feed them adequately with a diet that is balanced. Protein is an essential part of our diet as we need it to grow and repair our bodies hence why meat has earned its importance in today’s diet for many.
Our Current System
To understand where insects come into the equation we must take a look at how we consume food today and the impact this is having on the environment. Our current model of food production and consumption habit is fraught with issues namely how meat-centric eating habits are putting a massive strain on the environment.
The land required to farm cattle to supply this global demand is destroying valuable forestry which is key in fighting carbon dioxide emissions. Livestock also emits unburned methane gas which is very good at trapping atmospheric heat and thus contributing to climate change. https://fairworldproject.org estimates that around 16.5% of greenhouse emissions are caused by methane from cattle. Aside from these two problems, the carbon footprint and the amount of resources the production a kilogram of meat has an enormous effect on the environment and resources (it can take as much as 4,400 gallons of water to produce a single KG of beef). This is partly due to deforestation but also in terms of water consumed, electricity, non-biodegradable packaging and transport it takes to get it from ranch to plate. As a society, meat has become so ingrained in our day to day diet that we’ve started to demand it at cheaper and cheaper prices which also contributes to the problem.
Insects Benefits
The picture painted by many scientists and food security experts is one of a fast-growing population that will be demanding a protein-rich diet from an unable system. Similarly to smart cities, the objective is to deliver the population’s requirements using a sustainable, high output and cheap food source. Enter the role of insects!
The New Superfood
Firstly let’s look at the nutritional value of things like grasshoppers and ants for example. These insects actually have a higher level of healthy fats, vitamins and proteins to mass than beef, chicken or pork. They also contain over 9 amino acids and have proven to be rich in antioxidants whilst outcompeting meat on precious Omega 3 and fibre content. Best of all the sheer input-to-output margin in terms of how much protein insects produce relative to their mass. Add to this the fact that insects can be eaten whole with no wastage and they start to make for a very efficient form of food.
Sustainable & Plentiful
Impressed by the nutritional credentials insects have to offer? The most attractive draw towards them as a sustainable food source is the comparably minute amount of space that they take to breed. Insects also have an ability to breed very quickly which would guarantee a plentiful supply of the creatures for consumption and put to bed any concerns about their size being a barrier to consistently meeting demand. The majority of insects also feed on other insects and plant life which means that there will be no need to endure the carbon footprint of producing and transporting grain feed as is the current case for feeding cows, lambs and other cattle. Insect farms could be very self-sustaining giving us the chance to massively cut down on food transportation and reduce its negative carbon-based effects.
Western Consumer Buy-in
In actual fact, eating insects is nothing new. In Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, China and Thailand, a crisped grasshopper on a skewer for example is a common street snack and has been for centuries. In fact, it is estimated that over 26% of the world is already eating insects and has done for a while due to economic constraints and limited access to meat. The idea is slowly gaining more and more traction in western countries but as one can imagine, the idea of eating mealworms, crickets and ants is still triggering a sharp aversion amongst mainstream consumers.
On the commercial side of things, the insect protein market is already exceeding $1 billion at present and this is expected to rise by 800% in the next ten years or so. The market’s interest signals are promising and although we are quite a distance from unanimous consumer buy-in, entomophagy is becoming more and more popular. Companies like “EAT GRUB” have started using insect protein to reproduce the likeness and taste of burgers, protein bars and snacks to a very credible degree. As per most positive changes, achieving them is possible with the correct combination of education, time and innovation from sector leaders. The key challenge is showing consumers that insect food can be innovatively processed into great tasting mediums that are delicious and also guarantee a healthy future for generations.