BY: ERIK HUSTON
I recently watched a TED Talk by Marcel Dicke, in which he explains how locusts – basically large grasshoppers – are the “shrimp of the land.” At first I thought this talk was another far-fetched solution to a problem that doesn’t really need solving. But when he explained that the switch from livestock as our main source of protein to insects could save the world from numerous apocalyptic disasters, I became intrigued.
Apocalyptic Disaster #1: Pigs and livestock could incubate and cause an outbreak of disease.
Because of a pig’s similarity to a human, genetically they incubate the kinds of viruses and diseases that could be transferred to us. We actually use pigs for models in medicine and can transplant pig organs into a human. This is cause for worry since in 1990 the Netherlands saw an outbreak of classical swine fever, which could happen again if we do not take precautions. One of these precautions could be to switch from meat to insects as our favoured food source.
Apocalyptic Disaster #2: Overpopulation and the growing demand for meat.
Although there are a lot of efforts to instill birth control in developing countries, according to Dicke, “we have something between six and seven billion people, and it will grow to about nine billion in 2050.” In order to feed all of these people within the time frame above, “we need an agricultural production increase of 70 percent.” How are we supposed to feed all of those hungry mouths if we rely on meat as a main food source? Meat requires massive amounts of land and the only way that we could feed that many people is through intensive factory farming. Which is just wrong. Not to mention the amount of greenhouse gasses that is created by livestock.
Apocalyptic Disaster 3: Environmental collapse and climate change.
This is a big one because it is happening now. Climate change is not a projection (overpopulation) or a possible future (disease outbreak). We are about to go through some tough times very soon. Although we may face massive displacement and economic damage, we don’t have to literally get wiped off the face of the earth. By switching to bugs as our main food source we will be doing ourselves a massive favor. For example, for every 10 kilograms of feed, we get one kilogram of beef. For that same amount of feed we get 9 kilograms of locust meat. That is a pretty sweet deal. Especially since, unlike livestock, the waste from locust meat is much less damaging to the environment. It contains a lot less ammonia and has a lower potential of creating greenhouse gasses.
If you’re down to help save the world, one step you can take is to close the BBQ and fry up some locust. I am looking forward to a positive change in our food supply, even if a lot of people are squeamish about the idea.
Image sources: dailystormer.com
