Insects: The Food of the future

Problem: It is predicted that by 2050 the human population will increase to over 9 billion people. With this, there is a higher demand for food, including meat. As cattle farming increases, so does deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative diets such as plant-based or insect-based diets may help slow down deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions (Food and Agriculture, 2021)

My goal is to write an essay about the advantages and disadvantages of an insect-based diet, as a solution to tackle environmental problems.

Introduction

The consumption and farming of cattle meat has many adverse effects on the environment, and even on people. One major problem with cattle farming is greenhouse gas emissions, especially if they are of mass industrial farming. Meat produces 60% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the food sector (the food production makes up one third of the global greenhouse gas emissions), more than twice as much as vegetables! The animals such as cows, cows themselves produce greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide. Cows (or other animals) just by walking around their small patch of earth churn the soil and release the carbon dioxide stored within. Farming machinery further impacts the greenhouse gas emissions from the farming sector. Water, it is of upmost importance to all living creatures and organisms. For every pound of meat in a cow that you eat, around 9000 kg of water was used. Another effect it has on the environment is deforestation. To have more land for farming many people cut down forests (or burn them). Of all the land that is not glaciers or barren land (27% or land in total) 40 percent is used for farming meat! It is obvious that we will take more and more until there is nothing left. We need an ecological, ethical, and efficient solution.

Scientific solution

I chose to research insect-based diets and enquire for a solution. I chose it since I think that it would be more interesting, and it would open the world to a new point of view, since it is not common.

Most people don’t know, but more than 900 different species of insect are edible. Dr Sarah Beynon, an entomologist who runs the Bug Farm, a working insect farm in Pembrokeshire says that “With insects, we can farm them intensively without compromising their welfare. They’re actually happier when they’re close to many other insects of the same species.”. Farming insects is also easier since it can be done humanely indoors.

The insect market is quickly rising. It is estimated that it will grow by 6.3 billion dollars by 2030. Research by Sainsbury’s (a supermarket chain) found out that 42% of British consumers are willing to try insects.

The main nutrients you can get from insects are protein, some fiber, fats, vitamins, and minerals. You usually would not get much water since they are often fried, powdered, or dried. They do not have any carbohydrates.

An insect-based diet is a good substitute for meat since it has a good amount of protein that is much more sustainable. Did you know crickets emit less than 0.1% of the greenhouse emissions of cows to produce the same amount of protein? Using insects instead of meat produces less greenhouse gases and is a solution to other problems. Space, we do not have much space left for meat farming. Insects are also a space saving solution, they can be farmed indoors, and take much less space than meat to farm.

Advantages and disadvantages of eating insects

Insects, if picked well from ecological farms that are well checked defy all the disadvantages except the “anti-nutrients” (chitin). However, these “anti-nutrients” are actually quite useful and good for you. They may temporarily (slightly) worsen our ability to digest proteins, but they also have a good side. Chitin is good for your immune system as it makes it stronger, and it also helps fight inflammation and cancer.

Conclusion

In the end I think that insect-based diets are a good solution to my problem. They are not only more ecological to produce, but they are also more space efficient. They also have many advantages that meat and livestock do not have. For example, they are cold blooded and can be kept inside without heating that costs a lot and makes even more co2 emissions. With all of this said it is obvious that insects are the food of the future.

Works cited:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Insects for Food and Feed, www.fao.org/edible-insects/en/

Gardner, Amy. “What Are the Most Important Pros and Cons of Eating Insects?” Crickster, Crickster, 14 July 2022, www.eatcrickster.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-eating-insects.

Godwin, Richard. “If We Want to Save the Planet, the Future of Food Is Insects.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 May 2021, www.theguardian.com/food/2021/may/08/if-we-want-to-save-the-planet-the-future-of-food-is-insects.

Milman, Oliver. “Meat Accounts for Nearly 60% of All Greenhouse Gases from Food Production, Study Finds.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 13 Sept. 2021, www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/13/meat-greenhouses-gases-food-production-study.

Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “Land Use.” Our World in Data, 10 Nov. 2023, ourworldindata.org/land-use.

Stice, Joel. “15 Ugly Facts the Meat Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know.” Buzzworthy, 6 Mar. 2018, www.buzzworthy.com/ugly-facts-of-meat-industry/.