A few years ago, when stories first emerged about people eating bugs – or at least foods with bug content – they were dismissed as fake news, conspiracy theories, and the like. Unfortunately, they proved to be all too accurate. And the details we’ve learned since then make this story even more bizarre and disturbing.
In brief, the shortage of food around the world appears to be worsening and prices are continuing to rise. And in many cases, people prefer traditional food but have no choice and are forced to eat what they can get.
Every country monitors its food reserves very carefully, keeping close tabs on weather conditions, the availability of crucial farming supplies and how harvests are progressing. If they determine that a shortage of a particular food is developing, the country will usually buy more on the open market. At one time, America was considered the breadbasket of the world, or certainly one of them, and no one was worried about food shortages here. But we are now hearing about many problems regarding the availability and cost of food. And as a result, many people – even here in America – either are already eating insects or are seriously considering doing so. What’s going on?
Blame the usual suspects: climate change, high prices, shortages of crucial farming supplies, avian flu, and smaller herds on cattle farms, among other farming and food-related problems. On the bottom line, people need to eat and, if the situation becomes desperate enough, they’ll do whatever they have to in order to survive.
In Their Favor
But why eat bugs of all things? There are several reasons and among them are that even considering today’s prices they are relatively inexpensive. Also, there is a huge variety to choose from. A report published in the science journal Nature says that “2,205 types of different insects are now being consumed all over the globe.” Separately, it’s also been reported that bug ingredients have already made their way even into common foods that we purchase.
Bugs multiply very quickly, so supplies are readily available. Also, scientists tell us they are very nutritious. The following, which appeared on AI Overview, is only a portion of the nutrition data that’s been compiled, but it helps explain why eating bugs is gaining favor with the public, and why eating them is gradually becoming more acceptable in the U.S. and in other countries.
Health Food?
Insects are high in protein. They contain all of the eight essential amino acids a person needs and in some cases up to 80% of their body weight is protein, which is a higher ratio than that of livestock. In addition, they are also rich in various vitamins and nutrients including B12, iron, zinc, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin and potassium.
In addition, insects contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are essential to the human diet, and some have as much omega-3 as fish. And that’s not all. Insects also are high in fiber and farming them is much less taxing on the environment than farming traditional foods like beef.
Believe it or not, some people actually like their taste – just not in the U.S., as they are certainly not a staple in the western diet – at least not yet. They are, however, popular in other regions and in certain countries in Asia, Africa, and in other places they are often sold by street vendors. By the way, they are gradually being introduced into the U.S. both as meals and as snacks.
According to AI Overview, insects are much more popular than many of us realize. In Thailand, for example, “Fried insects like grasshoppers and crickets are a street food snack and insect farming is common in Thailand…In some regions of Mexico, grasshoppers and crickets are a traditional food.”
They are also popular in many other countries. In Cambodia, for example, fried tarantulas are a delicacy (they are said to taste like chips). In China, people often eat silkworms, scorpions, and other insects. Silkworms are part of traditional dishes in Japan. In Australia, they are part of the Aboriginal diet and in Brazil queen ants are a common snack. The countries with the highest consumption of insects are Mexico, Thailand, India, China, and Japan.
In the U.S., the most popular insects are crickets (they, too, are said to taste similar to potato chips), beetles which are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, followed by grasshoppers, ants, locusts, scorpions, caterpillars, wasps, and more.
U.S. Enters The Game
If there are so many benefits to eating insects, why haven’t even more people joined the trend? Julie Lesnik, an anthropologist at Wayne State Univ., studied this question and explained that many people still have an “ick” attitude toward eating them, particularly in Western and some other cultures.
This, however, appears to be changing, as the number of Americans already eating insects is increasing and many more are considering doing so. In fact, four in ten Americans said they would consider eating food with insect ingredients as part of their regular diet or are already doing so according to todayyougov.com.
Powerful Support
According to Wikipedia, “A decade ago the UN began pushing pests as a sustainable super-protein for humans, pets and livestock that can benefit the environment and create jobs in developing countries.”
So are insects the future of food? Before dismissing this, consider the idea of “Follow the money,” as some smart and significant money says “To a growing extent, it already is.”
The largest insect farm in the world is located in France, which has been called the center of European insect farming for animal and plant feed. The biotech firm InnovaFeed owns it, and with 55,000 sq. meters it produces 15,000 tons of protein a year.
InnovaFeed has even bigger plans. In April 2024, it opened its first insect research and innovation center in North America in Illinois. By the end of 2024 it plans to have completed the second expansion of its insect farm in France and in the company’s words “has transformed its pilot site… into the premier European research and innovation center dedicated to insects.”
So next time someone goes shopping and grumbles about the high cost of food tell him/her to be grateful that traditional food is still available. That’s something we all should be grateful for.
Sources: bloomberg.com. endoftheamericandream.com; innovafeed.com; laist.com; mystateline.com; verafiles.org; wikipedia.org; todayyougov.com; zerohedge.com.
Gerald Harris is a financial and feature writer. Gerald can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
