by Archana Apte
I peer into the gently simmering pot and pick up my fork. Trying not to think about it too much, I scoop a caterpillar onto my fork and pop it into my mouth. The bug is chewy, crunchy, and imparts a slight tomato flavor thanks to the expertly made sauce. Not bad. I snag another one.
I’m in Lusaka, Zambia, where caterpillars are a key part of the local cuisine. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization notes that over two billion people consume insects as a cheap, easy, and sustainable protein source. Zambian caterpillars, for instance, are harvested off trees with relative ease. But this worldwide staple has yet to catch on in Western countries, where the “ick” factor turns many consumers away from eating insects.
This attitude prevents the growth of what many see as an environmentally friendly market. As the world grows more affluent, demand for animal-based protein is growing with it. However, mass production of livestock spews greenhouse gases, hogs agriculture for feed, destroys local habitats, and promotes mass pesticide and antibiotic use. Larger organisms are also less energy efficient, since they require more feed for a certain amount of food; Cornell University asserts that the energy input to protein output ratio for cattle is 54:1. Next to this environmental strain, farming insects seems promising. Mealworm production, asserts one journal article, requires only 10% of the land required for beef production. And a landmark 2013 UN report recommended that Westerners consume more insects.
Thus, it’s no wonder that a few enterprising companies are hoping to change Western attitudes towards eating bugs.
Chirps Chips, for example, sells chips made with cricket flour. The firm mainly targets wealthier, health- and environmentally-conscious consumers. One bag of sea salt chips sells for $2.40 on their website, a fairly steep price. In addition to cricket flour, Chirps are made from “stone-ground corn, beans, [and] chia seeds”—all popular ingredients in the health food market. And indeed, most of the most brick-and-mortar sellers are health food stores. While marketing to curious, wealthier Americans is a sound business strategy that could widen the appeal of insect-eating, it prevents less affluent people from joining in.
Aspire Food Group, by contrast, is focused on widening the economic appeal of insects. Founded in 2013 after its founders won the prestigious Hult Prize for business startups, Aspire promotes local economic growth and sustainable food consumption via two initiatives. In Ghana, Aspire equips rural families with palm weevil farming equipment. By raising their own iron-rich insects, these farmers can stave off anemia, generate income, and curb the over-harvesting of wild palm weevils. Meanwhile in the United States, Aspire uses AI to farm crickets en masse to decrease consumer cost and increase availability. The hope is that by driving prices down, crickets will jump from a high-end novelty offering to a component of mainstream foods. According to Food Navigator, however, the company is still focused on warming up the American market to insect-eating.
Clearly, driving down production prices and increasing Western receptivity to insect-eating are both critical approaches to growing this industry. However, there are drawbacks to insect farming. People allergic to shellfish should be wary of consuming crickets, as both animals are arthropods and cause similar responses. The environmental benefits of insect farming also mainly hinge on the insects’ food source—fattening crickets on Monsanto corn, for instance, exacerbates pre-existing problems. But with careful planning, it’s possible that farming insects could be both a revenue source for disadvantaged rural people and a tasty, sustainable option for Western eaters. It’s a potential win-win situation.
Sources
“Chirps Chips.” Chirps Chips, Chirps Chips, chirpschips.com/.
“Edible Insect Technology.” Aspire Food Group, Aspire Food Group, www.aspirefg.com/technology.aspx.
Halloran, A., Roos, N., Eilenberg, J. et al. Agron. Sustain. Dev. (2016) 36: 57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-016-0392-8
Huis, Arnold van. Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm.
“U.S. Could Feed 800 Million People with Grain That Livestock Eat, Cornell Ecologist Advises Animal Scientists .” Cornell Chronicle, Cornell University, 7 Aug. 1997, news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/us-could-feed-800-million-people-grain-livestock-eat.
Oonincx DGAB, van Itterbeeck J, Heetkamp MJW, van den Brand H, van Loon JJA, et al. (2010) An Exploration on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Production by Insect Species Suitable for Animal or Human Consumption. PLOS ONE 5(12): e14445. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014445
Watson, Elaine. “Aspire Food Group Unveils World’s First Automated Cricket Farm.” Foodnavigator-Usa.com, William Reed Business Media Ltd 2017, 3 Aug. 2017, www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2017/08/04/Aspire-Food-Group-unveils-world-s-first-automated-cricket-farm.
Image source: Aspire Food Group on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/aspirefoodgroup/
