How do we address global hunger and address our unsustainable food industry simultaneously? The answer, according to author Daniella Martin, is found in bugs.
You may think insects are gross, annoying, and in some cases dangerous. But Martin argues if we got over our cultural biases, we could embrace bugs as an easy source of protein. Most of us acknowledge there are serious problems in the meat industry, and meat-heavy diets require inefficient use of land and resources.
Well then—what about veganism? Martin points out that veganism isn’t terribly scalable—there is essentially no history of vegan societies, vegan diets usually don’t work out long-term (for convenience and health reasons), and most people are straight-up not interested.
But isn't it still ethically wrong to raise and eat other creatures? Martin claims insects can be raised and killed humanely—they don’t mind being crammed into small spaces, they have short lifespans, and you can use temperature to essentially put their cold-blooded little bodies to sleep.
Some organizations are reportedly even looking into introducing insect farming (more bang for your buck than foraging) to areas of the world where food is scarce. So eat bugs! Eat them for their protein, calcium, and iron! Martin claims they taste good (we can’t vouch for it), so order larvae from a bug farm and sauté those suckers! Eat them in lolipops! Consume them in a protein bar!
Still hung-up on the gross factor? Well Martin thinks you should get over it. After all, sushi (that's raw fish, people) was considered gross 30 years ago. Now you eat it all the time.
(Image: commons.wikimedia.com)
