Yes, I know. The world needs more food. Â Two billion people already eat bugs. So why shouldn’t we fussy eaters in the West join in? “Waiter, another order of spider leg fries, please, and a grasshopper burger too.” The UN thinks this is a fine idea so maybe we should too? Yum. Will Whole Foods soon be selling free-range, organically-raised, locally-grown bugs?
Supposedly raising insects for food is more sustainable because it uses less water and resources. However, has this been done on a mass scale yet, and not just in, say, selling insects at local markets in Southeast Asia?
The Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has decided to add bugs onto its shelves from January 2015 onwards, in an attempt to gradually incorporate it into the Western diet. Their “Buggy burgers” and “Buggy Balls” (article in Dutch) will consist of only 6-10% bug parts, and may thus be the solution to our problem; gradually start introducing small amounts of bug produce into our diets to get over the yuck barrier. After all, disgust, like culture, is passed down from generation to generation, and it is never too late to start making a change. We did it with sushi, so why can’t we do it with bugs?