I recently watched an episode of Earthrise* on Al Jazeera that discussed the benefits of eating insects. I have to say- much to my husband’s chagrin- I’m intrigued. I’ve heard a few different programs on entomophagy and it strikes me as absurdly practical.
One of the reasons I’m drawn to this alternative protein source is the tremendous stress our current agricultural practices put on the environment. There’s a lot of discussion about “carbon footprints”, “carbon taxes”, “carbon dioxide emissions”, but very little on methane and yet methane has up to 25 times the effect on temperature (i.e. trapping heat in the atmosphere) as carbon dioxide does.
According to the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization, livestock contribute 80 million tons of methane into the atmosphere every year and by 2030 that figure is expected to rise to 128 million tons. Pardon the pun, but holy cow! That’s about 35-40% of global methane emissions. (Interestingly, rice production contributes another 20%.)
Further, livestock and related activity accounts for 9% of CO2 emissions, and 64% of global nitrous oxide emissions, and we haven’t even gotten started on what this does to the land, of which livestock alone occupy 30% of the global land surface. (Agriculture in general accounts for approximately 70%, so while 30% is livestock, a large proportion of the remaining 40% is also dedicated to crops to feed that livestock.)
Modern agricultural practices in general leave me unnerved for so many reasons, not the least of which is that while displacing entire peoples and changing the dynamics of entire economies (don’t even get me started on cash crops), it’s totally unsustainable. We’re not only poisoning our water systems and land, we’re eroding the very soil that we need to survive and- you want to talk scary- it takes at least 500 years to produce an inch of new soil.
Anyway before I digress into a full on rant, it strikes me that there are some very simple (moderate) changes that the average meat eater, of which I am one, can make. One: go vegetarian at some point during the week. I recently made the decision to cut out 3 ‘regular’ meals and replace them with vegetarian options. This week that’s meant homemade hummus and garlic naan, a homespun version of aloo gobi with basmati rice, and a filo pastry pie stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, red onion and feta. We’re hardly going to stick to the lifestyle change if it’s not interesting so I plan on switching things up regularly.
Another extremely easy option is just to cut back on the amount of the meat used in a meal. I can make a hardy beef and barley soup using only one large soup bone. Afterwards, the pup gets the bone (until the cats steal it) so I’ve not only used the bare minimum in terms of actual meat, there’s no waste.
And my new favourite idea: raise and eat bugs! I know, I know- it’s not for everyone (Shane insists I’m going to be alone on this one) but it’s worth considering and maybe even trying. It takes approximately 45 kilograms of feed to produce 4.5 kilograms of beef whereas that same amount of feed will produce 20 kilograms of crickets. They’re tremendously efficient at converting biomass to protein. Add to which only a minimum amount of space is required to raise insects, they require very little water, they’re super packed with protein and low in fat, and according to many people they’re downright tasty. (I like the sound of a popular Oaxacan treat: grasshoppers toasted with lime, garlic and chile.)
According to some estimates, at least half of the human population do eat insects. It’s just not in favour in North America and Europe, probably at least in part due to the shift in attitudes towards insects as ‘crop destroyers’ upon our move to an agrarian lifestyle. And then there’s just the “ick factor” that we’ve developed over time, which when you think about it is kind of funny considering what we are willing to ingest. Never mind the absolute crap that we mindlessly consume in front of the television (hey, I’m not hatin’, I eat it too) but we’re perfectly content to eat some arthropods, like shrimp, lobster and crayfish.
I have to say, I’m feeling pretty optimistic that I can stick with the maximum of 4 meals with meat a week and that alone is a significant lifestyle change. And I’m downright excited, though still a bit nervous (squeamish?) about raising insects as a food source. I won’t get started until next spring at least but stay tuned for my bug eating adventures. 🙂
Earthrise* is a fabulous new program that focuses on solutions to our global environmental challenges. I love the fresh perspective.
Some interesting (bug related) links:
Im a meat eater just like the next. Just wanted to say that.
Great post. Insects might be a bit strange for some but if you get over the initial strange feeling they are quite good. And they will eat almost any gras thrown at them so you dont need to feed them any special blend.
Cooking with less meat is great. Lots of people should try this.
I agree with all.
Thanks Robin! Yes, I think it will be quite the mind shift but I’m kind of excited. And I was thinking this would also be a great way to make sure there are lots of fresh insects for the ducks I hope to keep in future too. We can share. 🙂
There’s some environmentally friendly meat options available- cows raised only on grass and chickens that eat bugs so you don’t have to 🙂 Go for quality over quantity!
It is awesome to know that there are people like yourself, Vance, who are raising animals in such a responsible way! I think for me, the ideal balance would be a combination of the above solutions while eating meat that has been produced in an ethical way. 🙂
Dear Brandee and Shane (looked for your names in your ‘about’ section, don’t mean to come off as creepy),
The US is actually slowly starting to become more interested in entomophagy, and a few start ups have popped up as suppliers — one was founded by an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, and he raises “organic mealworms” by only giving them organic feed.
I’m also part of a network of undergraduates (I’m actually a recent graduate so I still consider myself an ‘undergrad’) across the nation who are trying to spread awareness about the benefits of eating insects, through an organization that’s trying to spread to more campuses called EDIBL (the Environmental Discourses on the Ingestion of Bugs League), and one of the things we plan on having members do is just what you’re talking about – creating awareness about food systems by having them raise mealworms or other insects as a minilivestock demo, literally from ‘mini-farm to fork”.
We’re still really young (founded almost 2 years ago) with only two chapters right now but we’re looking to expand into 3 more universities/colleges soon.
In case you’re interested, please feel free to email me, I’d love to chat about insects further! Either way I’m happy you’ve decided to think about trying to raise insects to consume. Happy eating!
Regards,
Rena
rena.rchen@gmail.com
Thank you so much Rena! I will be in touch, if you don’t mind. I’m not quite ready to start but could definitely use some pointers on getting started. 🙂
one could raise crickets mealworms or earthworms for protien supply
however the average person will most likely prepare you for dinner than
touch such foods
True, true! Luckily I don’t much aspire to ‘average’. 😉
I accidentally became a vegetarian for a number of years when I was single – I was just too cheap and lazy to buy, store, and prepare meat – it invariably added a step to every recipe, which I hated (cooking has never been my favorite activity). While my husband is a confirmed carnivore, we compromise by cooking vegetarian about half the time, and by using less meat per recipe when we do use meat – a pound of hamburger can be stretched into a huge pot of chili by just adding more beans and tomato sauce, and likewise, you can use a very small amount of ham or bacon or whatever to flavor your soup, and have it actually be mostly vegetables. I am more into eggs and dairy as major protein sources, and we’re working towards sustainably raising our own, but of course, not everyone has the space or the inclination. While bugs aren’t my own preferred route, I applaud you for being willing to try…
Oh, I definitely want to add ducks and chickens to the homestead, and maybe some goats too (for dairy). Once we’ve finished with the build I’ll hopefully have time to research what would go into actually raising animals and be able to weigh out the pros and cons. I was thinking that if I do raise insects, maybe I can feed them to the ducks and chicks as well. It would be the only way they’d get anything fresh in the winter out here…
Hi Brandee
While I applaud your “meat” eating dedication, it would seem easier to go more vegetarian… Especially if the numbers you used are correct- without doubt, beef is an ineffecient way to convert feed to meat, but I would have thought that crickets would be more than 50% effecient- 45 kilo feed for 20 kilo bugs still seems like you have lost 25 kilos of feed. Granted you could feed them grass or something else “inedible” to humans, but if instead you could simply grow the feed as a human consumable, you would end up ahead- by double.
Now worms are another idea. Checking some of the links seems to indicate you could eat worms, and if you could marry a worm composting pile with harvesting the worms for dinner, you should be able to get ahead, since the “feed” for the worm bin would be inedible by definition, you are truly getting ahead when eating your waste recyclers! And the redworms common for composting aparently breed like crazy. I wonder how they taste….
Richard
btw- awesome work on the (former) dome home this summer. As my neighbor pointed out with our easrthabg barn, it’d make a hell of a bunker, and your already has parapets! When are you installing the moat 🙂
Ah, if I could simply grow- that is a sticking point. Our closest store requires traveling 70 kilometers round trip and doesn’t carry much in the way of fresh produce in the summer let alone the long winter months- and what they do carry is always very expensive. I’m currently trying to build up the soil and that’s working, to some extent anyway, but the growing season is short and well water is too saline to use on the garden so requires water harvesting which- in a drought area- can be challenging. Grass, well that’s the only thing that is plentiful out here…
We’re planning to reuse graywater in the new house, cleaning it as it were through plant beds, and I hope to build a greenhouse to extend the season and protect the plants from the harsh climate but that in itself will be an experiment. Given the -40 temperatures we see in the winter, and ~8 hours of sunlight (bearing in mind only 6 hours are more than a dusky glow), it’ll be tricky to build an environment that does not require supplemental heat and/or lighting. But we’ll give it a go and see what comes of it…
I would have to say that I’m at least as hooked on variety (and freshness) as I am on ‘meat’, probably more so. In Mexico, I find it really easy to live off fresh fruit and vegs. I don’t know if I could do worms… I try to be open-minded but…
So I guess we’ll see. This whole thing (life, whatever you want to call it) has been one big experiment since moving out here. I certainly never expected that moving 4 hours away from the city would prove so challenging and, um, ‘interesting’ but it’s been a ride so far. Who knows what’s in store next? 😉