Edible insects crawl into the food market amid growing investment based on climate and security benefits: analysts
- More governments, large companies and investors are joining start-ups in the quest to deliver edible insects to the world’s dining tables
- Insects turn energy into protein more efficiently and with less environmental impact than livestock, but some critics raise concerns
Protein from insects like crickets and beetles may help alleviate future food insecurity and malnutrition problems brought on by climate change – as well as climate change itself – thanks to more economical and environmentally friendly production than protein from livestock, according to industry analysts.
More governments, large companies and investors are joining start-ups in the quest to deliver edible insects to the world’s dining tables, in hopes that they gain mainstream acceptance while helping meet the planet’s challenges, analysts said.
“We think consuming insects as a major protein source instead of livestock could mitigate the impact of the agricultural sector on the environment,” said Heidi Tang, environmental, social and governance research associate at HSBC. “It also allows the global food system to adapt to changes brought about by climate change.”
The food system contributes more than a third of the global greenhouse-gas emissions caused by human activity, according to a United Nations-backed study in 2021. Nearly 60 per cent of that comes from the production of animal-based food, said another paper published in the scientific journal Nature Food in 2021.
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While animal-based protein is becoming increasingly expensive and faces supply challenges due to climate-induced natural disasters like droughts and inflation in the cost of feed and fuel, insects are widely available and offer ample macronutrients and micronutrients, according to an HSBC report released last month.