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Entomophagy will become a crucial procedure as climate change and world food security worsen. Crickets are excellent allies in the fight against climate change because of their great nutritional value and low environmental impact.

In subsequent years, the practice of entomophagy&nbsp, in which humans consume insects for nutrition, has gained popularity all over the world. The highest rates of insect consumption can be found in tropical nations, where cooler climates promote insect growth, as well as in nations where food is scarce. &nbsp,

In the West, insect consumption has always been used as animal feed, though it is also gradually becoming more popular among people. The Western world currently consumes the most meat, and in just 50 years, that consumption has increased from an average of 62 kilograms (kg ) per person to 96 kg. The pressure to find lasting food alternatives is being increased by the rise in meat consumption rates, which has a significant negative impact on the environment.

Due to their high nutrient content, little climate impact, and capacity to provide food security, crickets have become more and more popular among all insects.

You might even enjoy FlyFarm’s book Insect Farming: The Green Future of Food Production

dietary information

Crickets contain a lot of macronutrients, such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals. According to reports, cricket protein can weigh as much as 62 to 71 grams per 100 grams of dried weight, compared to animal livestock’s 27 grams.

Crickets are high in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K in addition to having a high protein content. They are also rich in minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, chromium. &nbsp,

These macro- and micronutrients give humans the necessary nourishment. &nbsp,

Impact on the environment

According to their smaller land footprint, high rate of food conversion, and lower methane emission than cattle, crickets have a lower environmental impact. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it enters the atmosphere, is produced by crickets 80 % less than by cattle.

The Importance of Addressing Planet-Warming Methane Emissions in the Energy Sector

Also, because crickets and various insects consume healthy waste, the total amount of greenhouse emissions that would have resulted from the waste rotting obviously is decreased. &nbsp,

Compared to pet livestock farms, cricket farms have a much smaller land footprint. For instance, compared to one cow that needs roughly one acre ( 0. 4 hectares ) to graze, 700 crickets can live in a 70-liter container. There may be land opportunities to turn degraded grazelands into wooded areas if demand for cricket farms rises and that for livestock pastures falls.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ), crickets also consume a high rate of food conversion, meaning they require” six times less feed than cattle, four times more than sheep, and twice as much as pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein.”

They have a short lifespan and high reproduction rates in addition to their higher conversion rate. A cricket lives between 60 and 70 days, during which time it goes from being an egg to a nymph to an adult. One adult cricket can lay anywhere from 200 to 1,500 eggs during this lifespan. These insects are the perfect food source for preserving world food security due to their short lifespan and high production rate.

The moment has arrived.

This insect is a sought-after food source that can help combat the growing global food insecurity due to its small land footprint, large nutritional value, and short lifespan. The need to find more responsible food sources has never been greater, even though it may take some time before people around the world, and particularly in European nations, start including insects in their diets.

Why International Food Security Matters in 2023 may also be of interest to you.

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