Bug Appetit! Why you should consider eating insects

If a plate of insects was placed in front of you, would you eat them? 

Scientists say you should eat them not only because insects are rich in protein but also because they require little effort to make and have a much lower carbon footprint than other foods such as meat.

The current world population is more than seven billion people. However, by 2050, the United Nations population division predicts that this number will increase to about 10 billion. Studies indicate that the available sources of food will become scarce, and one of the solutions to this problem is to adopt alternative sources of nutrients. Eating insects, —  entomophagy — is one way out. . 

Nevertheless, research shows that food neophobia, which refers to the fear of trying new things, is one of the leading reasons why people not accustomed to eating insects feel repulsed when asked to try them out.

To test the theory, I brought cookies made from crickets to the office and experimented. I offered the cookies to my colleagues without disclosing the ingredients. As they ate, they seemed to enjoy them. However, one colleague noticed a unique taste and asked what the cookies were made of. It was then that I revealed that the cookies were made from crickets. Instantly, everyone’s mood changed. Even those who had previously enjoyed the cookies felt betrayed and sickened.

A study on insects for food cites the following: “Food neophobia status is correlated with future willingness to eat insects, with individuals classified as food neophobic reporting a reduced willingness to eat insects compared to those classified as food neutral or food neophiliac.”

Humans often rely on animal sources for protein, which requires intensive farming, results in massive water consumption, and contributes to global warming. 

A study published in the scientific journal Frontiers shows that “livestock rearing has been estimated to produce 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, which is higher than emissions produced by the transport sector. Insects emit substantially smaller amounts of greenhouse gases and ammonia than cattle or pigs. The emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide resulting from the farming of edible insects are lower by a factor of 100 per kg of weight than cattle,” the study explains.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that by 2025, more than 1.8 billion people will live in water-scarce regions. However, farming insects can help alleviate this problem since it requires significantly less water. Moreover, some insects such as mealworms are drought-resistant and can be farmed sustainably.

“One of the best advantages of producing insect species is that they have reduced water needs compared with vertebrate livestock. For some species, water can be easily provided directly in their feed through fresh vegetables and fruits,” shows a study published by Science Direct.

A recent study published in Molecular Diversity Preservation International highlights that knowledge and experience of insects’ nutritional benefits affect the chances of trying insect-based food. Although there are over 1,900 species of edible insects worldwide, most people respond with disgust when asked about insect consumption. However, scientists are exploring insects as a sustainable food source due to their high nutritional value.

“Insects are a good protein source with all the essential amino acids in adequate quantities though protein content may vary. Most edible insects contain small quantities of saturated fatty acids and have a representative iron, zinc and vitamin E content. The level of these nutrients is modulated by certain factors such as the insects’ diet, their stage of development and industrial processing,” explains a study published by MDPI.

Insects have also proven to be more climate-friendly compared to other sources of protein.

One of the proponents for insects as an alternative source of protein in the country is Dr John Kinyuru, a senior lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He tells Healthy Nation that the country has about 19 species of edible insects. These include crickets, black soldier flies, locusts, houseflies, mealworms, grasshoppers, and cockroaches. 

“We farm these insects in the country. For instance, houseflies are farmed for people to give to pigs and fish, and in just about three days, one can have so many maggots,” he explains.

He says the first time scientists in the country started researching insect farming and having it as a source of protein was in 2006.  “We started by catching insects from the wild and we realised that that was not enough. We realised that if we have to sustain an industry, we have to start farming them, so we started developing farming techniques with people worldwide,” says Dr Kinyuru.

“We are facing a big challenge of feeding the world. Today, we are about seven billion, which means that we need about 21 billion meals a day to feed the world. Our cows, goats and plants are not enough. This is why we have to think innovatively about how to increase our food basket. The idea is to bring diversity,” he adds.

Dr Kinyuru says that one way to reduce insect food neophobia is to create food products instead of asking people to ingest insects directly.

“I don’t have to crunch the cricket, but I can eat a cookie that is baked with some crickets in it. I can eat pizza with crickets or milk powder, but with crickets,” he says.

He says that most insects taste like nuts. 

Dr Kinyuru says children are the easiest population to adopt insect-eating, and scientists involved in this research are introducing this to them as a fun food.

“We have porridge and snacks made of insects that we give to children, but we add interesting flavours in them. Children have not formed an opinion yet, but we are shaping them. That’s why many of our interventions are in schools,” he explains.

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