Should We Eat Bugs?

The roasted crickets were tasty. But the feeling of tiny legs on my tongue was a bit weird. The roasted mealworms much more palatable. That’s probably because they didn’t have legs. 

This was my brief foray into entomophagy, otherwise known as eating insects. It happened several years ago at Science North in Sudbury, Ontario. There, staff were offering samples of seasoned crispy bugs to curious visitors. 

How about you? Would you ever snack on an insect?

Did you know? 

“Bug” is not a scientific term. When people use the word “bugs” they may be talking about insects, arachnids or other invertebrates.

In many parts of the world, your answer might be, “Ick!” For most North Americans, insects are something to eat on a dare. Or they might be a novelty food to try when you’re traveling. But in even more parts of the world, your answer might be, “Of course!” Two billion people around the world include insects in their regular diet. 

People have been eating insects for centuries. But in some parts of the world, opinions about insects as food have changed over time. That’s because, around 10 000 BCE, people began farming crops and livestock. Around that time, people probably started to think of insects as pests that could destroy their food, rather than as food itself.

Scientists and sustainable food advocates are hoping to change this. Insects are an environmentally responsible and nutritious food… tiny legs and all.

Who eats insects?

Around 1900 different insect species are eaten. In many places, people don’t eat these insects out of necessity. Instead, they eat them because they taste good! The most popular edible insects are:

• Beetles
• Caterpillars
• Bees
• Ants
• Grasshoppers
• Crickets 

Entomophagy is most common in tropical climates. That is probably because the insects there are larger and tend to swarm. This makes them easier to gather. 

Also, warmer regions normally have a wider variety of insect species that are available year-round. In colder countries like Canada, many insect species hibernate, so they are not as readily available.

Did you know? 

Even if you don’t practice entomophagy (eating insects), you unintentionally eat insect parts every day. For example, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows up to 25 insect fragments per 100 grams of rice. 

Why farm insects?

Most edible insects are harvested from the wild rather than farmed. But there are compelling reasons to turn our six-legged friends (or their larvae!) into livestock. 

The world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations predicts that the current level of global food production will need to double to feed the mid-twenty-first century world. A big challenge will be providing enough protein for all of those people. 

Demand for animal protein is growing worldwide. But raising enough cattle, pigs and chickens to meet this demand is not environmentally sustainable. Raising these livestock requires a lot of land and water, both for the animals themselves and to grow the crops they eat. Clearing land for livestock often requires deforestation, which destroys native plant and animal habitats. 

Insects are much more environmentally friendly than traditional livestock. Let’s compare crickets to cows. Crickets use much less land. It takes 400 square metres of land to get one kilogram of beef, but only 30 square metres of land to get one kilogram of crickets. Crickets also use much less water. It takes 2 200 litres of water to get 100 g of beef, and about 2000 times less to get 100 g of crickets.

What’s more, cattle emit huge amounts of a greenhouse gas called methane into the air, in the form of methane-tained gas. This contributes to climate change. Insects produce much less greenhouse gas than our farty four-legged friends. Cockroaches, termites, and scarab beetles are the only insect species that have the kind of bacteria in their guts that make methane. All other insects, including the mealworms and crickets I sampled, have methane-free flatulence. 

Methane also comes from the manure (waste) that cattle produce. But according to the FAO, insects might be able to help here, too! Some types of insects will feed off the manure. These insects could, in turn, be used to feed chickens, fish, and other animals farmed for food. Insects could also feed on organic waste products such as vegetable peels.

Did you know? 

Dried, ground cochineal insects are the source of a natural red food colouring called carmine, cochineal extract, or natural red 4.

Are insects nutritious? 

Eating insects may be good for the environment, but are they good for you? The nutritional profile of insects depends on the species and the stage of life. But in general, insects are high in good quality protein. They are also loaded with many vitamins and minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iron. Most insects are nutritionally similar to beef, pork, or chicken. In fact, many insects pack a better protein punch and deliver more iron.

What is the future of entomophagy? 

Policy makers around the world are investigating insects as a solution to food security. Many people in the world are food insecure. The United Nations estimates that 1 in 9 people suffer from chronic (constant) hunger. And as you have learned, insects could provide a way to feed more people in a sustainable way.
So now that you’ve learned all of this, would you eat bugs as a snack? If you are ready to dive into entomophagy and are looking for some homegrown bugs, Entomo Farms in Campbellford, Ontario can hook you up with seasoned roasted crickets and mealworms (darkling beetle larvae). The owners started their business raising insects for reptile feed. But they saw an opportunity to provide nutritious, environmentally sustainable insect products for people as well. If whole bugs aren’t whetting your appetite, you can start with adding cricket or mealworm flour to your next batch of cookies -- without the legs! Some producers in Quebec are starting to make food out of insects, too. Insect pasta, anyone?