What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm. Also: climate change. Or biodiversity loss. Resource scarcity. The real question, of course, is whether individuals are willing to make small changes to help protect the planet.
Would you push past the “ick” factor of a milkshake made of crickets if you knew it would lead to a more sustainable diet? What if you couldn’t taste the difference between processed insect protein and meat? Would you be willing to make other changes to your diet and behaviour in order to live more sustainably?
In fact, perhaps we should all make the switch to wormburgers? Or locust tempura? Would it be the environmentally responsible thing to do, given that almost 15% of global greenhouse emissions come from cows farting (we’re only half-joking; methane emissions from livestock, as well as associated land clearance and fertiliser use, contributes more to global warming than all the cars, trucks, trains, planes, and ships in the world combined).
It’s not just about eating insects. Would you be willing to change your toothpaste in order to help tackle the problem of plastics in the ocean? Would you eat less meat? Would you stop using your car and walk or take the bike for short journeys? What sort of changes to your daily life would you be open to if it meant a more sustainable society?
On 23 May, Debating Europe is co-hosting an event in Brussels on citizens as drivers for sustainable change. The event (Towards Greener Cities: Citizens as Drivers for Change), in partnership with Friends of Europe and Green Week 2018, will bring together citizens, civil society, and policymakers to discuss environmental sustainability. You can follow the event online using the hashtag #EUGreenWeek.
What do our readers think? We had a comment sent in from Bogdan, who has actually tried chowing down on some crunchy arthropods. He argues that eating insects tastes “not bad at all”, and would be much more sustainable for the planet:
We can actually replace meat with insects. It’s easier and the protein content is similar to the beef. I tried some insects and they are not bad at all. They consume less water and energy, occupy less space and can be grown quick.
To get a response, we put Bogdan’s comment to Roberto Flore, a Sardinian chef, Head of Culinary Research and Development at the Nordic Food Lab, and co-author of On Eating Insects: Essays, Stories and Recipes, a book that looks not just at the politics and philosophy of entomophagy (eating insects) but also presents recipes for preparing and presenting your own tasty dishes made from creepy-crawlies. What would he say?
Could eating insects help save the planet? To get another perspective, we also put Bogdan’s comment to Eustacia Huen, a food and culture writer, and contributor for ForbesLife. She’s written articles about the insect-eating trend (including looking at whether cockroach milk might be the next superfood). What has she discovered?
We also had a comment from Martina, who argued it’s basically pointless to have this kind of debate because people aren’t willing to change their consumption habits. Is she right? Or is she being overly-pessimistic?
What would Roberto Flore say to Marina’s criticism? Does he agree that it’s really pointless to have these kind of debates?
Finally, how would Eustacia Huen respond to the same comment? Does she agree that eating habits are too ingrained and difficult to change?
I disagree. Depending on how much you travel, and how much you read up on things, there’s always room for tweaking your eating habits. For some people that might just be a change of palate as you grow older; for others it may be for health reasons. I must admit, personally, I am wary about eating insects myself. But I don’t think the debate is pointless at all. Obviously, the choice is yours as to whether you want to try this or not. I think there are many ways to embrace a new food trend. But no-one is telling you that you have to eat a live cockroach right now. You can start small by trying an [insect] energy bar, or drinking a shake that might have ground-up insects in it. There are many different ways to ease yourself into a trend like this.
Another factor that should be taken into consideration is globalisation. There are some other cultures in Asia, for instance, that have been eating insects for ages. And if you think about it, you already have renowned Danish chef René Redzepi, who played around with live shrimp covered with ants in his famous restaurant Noma before. So I do think European consumers are open to trying new things, including entomophagy. And I think it’s important that we keep an open mind to engage in these kind of discussions. Because that’s ultimately what we need to effect more positive changes in the long run.
Would you eat insects to save the planet? Can people’s habits and behaviours be changed to make society more sustainable? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!