Edible Insects: A Revolutionary protein to feed the world | Yesenia Gallardo | TEDxSalem

Summary

The script advocates for the use of insects as a sustainable and nutritious food source to address the challenge of feeding a growing global population. It highlights insects' high feed efficiency, low greenhouse gas emissions, and potential for urban farming. The industry is nascent but growing, with the potential to revolutionize food systems if cost-effective, large-scale farming is achieved.

Takeaways

• 🌱 The world is facing a challenge to feed an estimated 9 billion people by 2050 with a growing population and limited resources.
• 🐛 Insects are proposed as a sustainable and nutritious alternative to traditional livestock for food production.
• 🔥 Insects are more feed-efficient than cows, requiring significantly less food and water to produce the same amount of protein.
• 💪 Insects are rich in protein, iron, and calcium, providing essential nutrients that can support healthy and productive lives.
• 🌡️ Insects are exothermic, meaning they don't require the energy-intensive processes to regulate body temperature like endothermic animals, making them more efficient converters of feed to body mass.
• 🌳 The production of insect-based protein has a much lower environmental impact, emitting less greenhouse gases compared to traditional livestock farming.
• 🏭 Insects can be farmed in enclosed spaces, reducing the need for land and potentially alleviating deforestation and land conversion for agriculture.
• 🌐 Urban areas can benefit from insect farming, providing accessible and nutritious food sources in non-arable environments.
• 🔄 Insects can be reared on agricultural waste, contributing to a closed-loop system and reducing food waste.
• 🌐 Cultural perceptions in the West have been a barrier to insect consumption, but there is a growing interest in their potential as a sustainable food source.
• 📈 The edible insect industry is nascent but growing, with over 150 companies producing insect-based products, indicating a shift towards alternative protein sources.

Q & A

Why is the world's population growth a concern for food supply?

The world's population is projected to reach 9 billion in the next thirty years, growing at a faster pace than the food supply. This rapid growth, combined with the increasing scarcity of resources like land and water, makes it challenging to feed such a large population.

What role can insects play in addressing the food scarcity issue?

Insects are abundant, nutritious, and can be grown at a large scale to potentially feed 9 billion people. They offer a sustainable and nutritious alternative to traditional livestock, requiring fewer resources and producing less waste.

How are insects more efficient in feed conversion compared to traditional livestock like cows?

Insects are exothermic, meaning they don't require complex and energy-intensive processes to regulate body temperature. This allows them to convert food into body mass more efficiently. For example, crickets require only two pounds of feed to produce one pound of protein, compared to the 25 pounds of feed needed for beef.

What nutritional benefits do insects offer compared to traditional protein sources?

Insects are a remarkable source of nutrition. For instance, crickets have more protein than beef jerky, chicken, salmon, and eggs. They also have more iron than spinach and more calcium than milk.

How do insects contribute to sustainability in terms of greenhouse gas emissions?

Insects emit far fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to other animals. Industrial meat production accounts for 37% of methane in our atmosphere, while insect production releases less than 1% of the methane emissions of cattle production.

What is the advantage of growing insects in terms of physical space requirements?

Insects require very little physical space and can be grown in closed spaces like warehouses or barns. This is in contrast to traditional livestock that cannot be stacked and require vast grazing lands or feed production.

How can insects be integrated into urban farming and closed-loop systems?

Insects can be grown in dense urban areas, making use of non-arable land and even old abandoned warehouses. They can also be reared on agricultural waste products or garden scraps, contributing to closed-loop systems where food waste is converted into a low-cost alternative source of protein.

What is the current status of the edible insect industry, and how has it grown in recent years?

Five years ago, there were only a few companies making insect-based products. Today, there are over 150 companies, indicating a significant growth in the industry as more people recognize the potential of insects as a sustainable food source.

Why are insects considered a premium luxury product currently, and what needs to change for them to become more accessible?

Insects are currently a premium luxury product due to their high cost, with cricket protein powder priced at around $40 a pound. To make them more accessible, the industry needs to make insect protein powder price-competitive with other low-cost protein powders like whey, soy, and fish meal.

What are some potential applications of insect protein powder beyond high-end products?

Insect protein powder has the potential to be used in various industries that rely on low-cost protein. It can be used to make animal feed, reduce dependence on fish stocks by replacing fish meal, and create hunger relief bars for areas suffering from drought and famine.

What challenges and opportunities does the edible insect industry face in terms of innovation and development?

The industry faces challenges such as the need for more innovation, research, and development to achieve cost-effective, large-scale insect farming. Opportunities include the potential to revolutionize food systems, create sustainable meat alternatives, and alleviate pressure on the planet's limited natural resources.