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Plant protein is easier to grow and perfectly adequate for human nutrition. This obsession with animal protein is unscientific.

rewq4321 6y ago
Yeah, the cricket protein thing is a fad. Anything that can be produced by an animal, can be produced by a (potentially genetically-modified) plant or yeast more efficiently. Animals are above plants trophic-level-wise, and their feed conversion efficiency can't be more than 100%. That said, insects are way more efficient than mammals at converting plants into human-edible calories thanks in part to their lack of internal temperature control and growth rate.[0] If you had to choose an animal to use as a protein-constructor, crickets would be a great choice. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_conversion_ratio#Insects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_conversion_ratio#Insects
- cubano 6y ago
  So your saying that I have to decide that all of a sudden I can't wait to eat crickets because they are more efficient? That just seems to me like a choice that very few humans are actually going to make.
  - ardy42 6y ago
    > That just seems to me like a choice that very few humans are actually going to make. It seems very HN to take the perspective of an aloof farmer-of-humans rather than that of an actual human.
  - YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
    >> So your saying that I have to decide that all of a sudden I can't wait to eat crickets because they are more efficient? No no, not you. All the poor people. They're the ones who will be fed "efficiently". You and I and most people on HN will retain our privilege to eat what we want.
    - cubano 6y ago
      If your idea of "privilege" is fighting heroin addiction [and currently very much winning that battle, thankfully] and living on the streets of West Palm Beach because due to felony drug possession charges over 15 years ago I can't get hired anywhere, than yes, "you and I" are most definitely that.
      - YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
        I'm happy to hear that you're winning the battle and I hope you continue to do so. My comment stands. You would be forced to eat crickets and I wouldn't (be forced to eat them). That's the whole idea with feeding people "efficiently". Piss-poor people who can't get a living wage are already fed the most unhealthy food because it's cheap and easy to mass-produce, whereas those who are well-off can eat whatever we want, whatever we think is healthy and nutritious, or just pleasant to eat. And all this talk of efficiency means is that more cheaply produced, low-quality food can keep being sold to those who need to watch their wallet more than they care to watch their waistline.
        cubano 6y ago
        A heartfelt thanks for your kind words... Yeah the more I think about it, it's probably just a cultural thing and not a "whole humanity" thing. As it's been discussed here, in some cultures crickets are sold as a snack on streetcorners and people grow up eating them. And I think the whole "piss-poor people" thing might just be eating unhealthy garbage because, just maybe, the cheap high-sugar high-carb stuff releases endorphins in most humans, and they are just trying to get a small reprieve in their desperate lives.
  - bertil 6y ago
    Roasted crickets are actually very tasty. I’d compare them to Cheetos. To each their own, sure, and I won’t tease you for refusing, but I can completely see then as something you wouldn’t be surprised to find in a corner deli, as complementary snacks in a bar, or while gaming at a friend’s. I prefer peanuts but many people are allergic. You want alternatives.
    - cageface 6y ago
      They're everywhere here in Thailand. You can buy a bag from a street vendor or find them in many supermarkets along with worms and other things we wouldn't consider eating in the West. I haven't had the courage to try them myself yet.
- cageface 6y ago
  I think you're going to have a lot easier time getting people to eat lentils than crickets, but sure, if it has to be cows or crickets then go for the crickets.
  - Lio 6y ago
    I think if you’d eat shrimp or prawns you’d give crickets ago. I’ve had them before as a novelty and they were fine. I say novelty as they’re not generally available as food where I live.
    - cageface 6y ago
      I live in Thailand and they're everywhere here. So far I haven't been brave enough to try them.
Dirlewanger 6y ago
It may be easier to grow and great for humans, but reducing it to just that is like the people who want to subsist only on Soylent; it's missing the bigger picture about food. Some people like eating things beyond just basic nutritional subsistence. It's why meat is so popular. We've also been eating it since time immemorial. The demand for meat isn't going away no matter how many cricket/insect ads you shove in people's faces. If anything, it just breeds resentment for sustainable food practices, because the rich and powerful will always still have access to meat products. Making meat into a luxury product like the days of yore will not work. The monkey's out of the bottle on that one. We need to work with this fact, not around it.
- cageface 6y ago
  Climate change is going to necessitate a lot of uncomfortable changes, including not eating whatever you want whenever you want. Selfishness at that level doesn't work with 8 billion people. That said I think lab grown meats look pretty promising.

rewq4321 6y ago

Yeah, the cricket protein thing is a fad. Anything that can be produced by an animal, can be produced by a (potentially genetically-modified) plant or yeast more efficiently. Animals are above plants trophic-level-wise, and their feed conversion efficiency can't be more than 100%. That said, insects are way more efficient than mammals at converting plants into human-edible calories thanks in part to their lack of internal temperature control and growth rate.[0] If you had to choose an animal to use as a protein-constructor, crickets would be a great choice. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_conversion_ratio#Insects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_conversion_ratio#Insects

cubano 6y ago
So your saying that I have to decide that all of a sudden I can't wait to eat crickets because they are more efficient? That just seems to me like a choice that very few humans are actually going to make.
- ardy42 6y ago
  > That just seems to me like a choice that very few humans are actually going to make. It seems very HN to take the perspective of an aloof farmer-of-humans rather than that of an actual human.
- YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
  >> So your saying that I have to decide that all of a sudden I can't wait to eat crickets because they are more efficient? No no, not you. All the poor people. They're the ones who will be fed "efficiently". You and I and most people on HN will retain our privilege to eat what we want.
  - cubano 6y ago
    If your idea of "privilege" is fighting heroin addiction [and currently very much winning that battle, thankfully] and living on the streets of West Palm Beach because due to felony drug possession charges over 15 years ago I can't get hired anywhere, than yes, "you and I" are most definitely that.
    - YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
      I'm happy to hear that you're winning the battle and I hope you continue to do so. My comment stands. You would be forced to eat crickets and I wouldn't (be forced to eat them). That's the whole idea with feeding people "efficiently". Piss-poor people who can't get a living wage are already fed the most unhealthy food because it's cheap and easy to mass-produce, whereas those who are well-off can eat whatever we want, whatever we think is healthy and nutritious, or just pleasant to eat. And all this talk of efficiency means is that more cheaply produced, low-quality food can keep being sold to those who need to watch their wallet more than they care to watch their waistline.
      - cubano 6y ago
        A heartfelt thanks for your kind words... Yeah the more I think about it, it's probably just a cultural thing and not a "whole humanity" thing. As it's been discussed here, in some cultures crickets are sold as a snack on streetcorners and people grow up eating them. And I think the whole "piss-poor people" thing might just be eating unhealthy garbage because, just maybe, the cheap high-sugar high-carb stuff releases endorphins in most humans, and they are just trying to get a small reprieve in their desperate lives.
- bertil 6y ago
  Roasted crickets are actually very tasty. I’d compare them to Cheetos. To each their own, sure, and I won’t tease you for refusing, but I can completely see then as something you wouldn’t be surprised to find in a corner deli, as complementary snacks in a bar, or while gaming at a friend’s. I prefer peanuts but many people are allergic. You want alternatives.
  - cageface 6y ago
    They're everywhere here in Thailand. You can buy a bag from a street vendor or find them in many supermarkets along with worms and other things we wouldn't consider eating in the West. I haven't had the courage to try them myself yet.
cageface 6y ago
I think you're going to have a lot easier time getting people to eat lentils than crickets, but sure, if it has to be cows or crickets then go for the crickets.
- Lio 6y ago
  I think if you’d eat shrimp or prawns you’d give crickets ago. I’ve had them before as a novelty and they were fine. I say novelty as they’re not generally available as food where I live.
  - cageface 6y ago
    I live in Thailand and they're everywhere here. So far I haven't been brave enough to try them.

Dirlewanger 6y ago

It may be easier to grow and great for humans, but reducing it to just that is like the people who want to subsist only on Soylent; it's missing the bigger picture about food. Some people like eating things beyond just basic nutritional subsistence. It's why meat is so popular. We've also been eating it since time immemorial. The demand for meat isn't going away no matter how many cricket/insect ads you shove in people's faces. If anything, it just breeds resentment for sustainable food practices, because the rich and powerful will always still have access to meat products. Making meat into a luxury product like the days of yore will not work. The monkey's out of the bottle on that one. We need to work with this fact, not around it.

cageface 6y ago
Climate change is going to necessitate a lot of uncomfortable changes, including not eating whatever you want whenever you want. Selfishness at that level doesn't work with 8 billion people. That said I think lab grown meats look pretty promising.