THE FUTURE OF FOOD
CURRENT TREND: ENTOMOPHAGY
Edible insects contain high-quality protein, vitamins and amino acids for human consumption and have a high food conversion rate. Crickets, for example, need six times less feed than cattle; four times less than sheep, and twice less than pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein. Besides, they emit less greenhouse gases and ammonia than conventional livestock, and can be grown on organic waste. Therefore insects are a potential source for conventional production (mini-livestock) of protein – either for direct human consumption, or indirectly in recomposed foods (with extracted protein from insects), and as a protein source for feedstock mixtures.
Edible insects can diversify diets, improve livelihoods, contribute to food and nutrition security, and have a lower ecological footprint compared to other sources of protein. These potential benefits, combined with an increased interest in exploring alternative sources of food that are both nutritious and environmentally sustainable, are spurring commercial production of insects as food and animal feed. Until recently, edible insects
