https://www.coursera.org/learn/edible-insects

Why

  • Why not: Cultural differences between which animals (and parts of animals) are and aren’t food → Too cute? Too scary? Disgust? Safety? Endangered? More useful alive? Bad taste? Racism?
  • Lower inputs (space, feed, water), lower emissions, higher nutrition density (low carb, medium protein, high protein, high fibre, high nutrients/minerals)
  • Insects react to external (but not internal) physical pain but don’t seem to care - they don’t suffer (mental), they’re likely not conscious
  • Veganism kills more than entoveganism: 1 acre of crops kills 800,000 insects
  • Can be prepared in a huge variety of ways, from flour/minced to whole as nuts/land-prawns substitutes, and have a range of innate flavours
  • Circular agriculture: flies eat chicken waste, chickens eat fly larvae
  • Utilise food waste (avoid landfill)
  • Space food!?

Market strategy

  • Innovation success: relative advantage (better), compatibility (with values), complexity, trialability (MVP), observability
  • Passive rejection: lack of supply limits consumption (”I want to, but can’t”)
  • From novel to normal: form (look like food), availability (supermarket)

Supply

  • Most common today in Thailand (leader in farming and research), Mexico (mostly traditional methods)
  • Food safety concerns similar to other animal products, so ensure quality feed and cleanliness
  • Novel food laws vary by region, e.g. US assumes safe and Europe assumes dangerous

Traditional collection from the wild

  • Depletion, seasonal, labour intensive, higher risk of disease

Farming

  • Largest companies in USA, Netherlands, Thailand
  • Already large farms for animal feed (chickens, fish, reptiles, etc)
  • Crickets
    • 21% protein chicken feed for 20 days, then 14-21% protein feed, leaves or fruits before harvest at day 45 (for flavour)
    • Maintain temperature; keep ants/predators out; avoid overcrowing; avoid inbreeding
    • Mating from days 40-45; within 24 hours of males singing, add bowl of sand/soil/rice husks for egg laying; move bowls to breeding tank, hatch in 7-10 days
  • Mealworms
    • 25-30C, 65-70% humidity, leave open or ventilated lid, in dark, like crowds; harvest 3~4 months, keep 10% for next generation
    • Tiered system: tray on top for beetles, mesh for larvae to fall through to bottom tray

Other uses

  • Cheese, honey, food colouring, silk, fertiliser, tea, sweeteners, polish, medicines, …