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There is a better solution to the problem: edible insects. The first reaction most people have is that the public in developed countries wouldn't eat insects,
by a5aAqU 5y ago
There is a better solution to the problem: edible insects.
The first reaction most people have is that the public in developed countries wouldn't eat insects, but people once thought lobsters were gross. Changing people's tastes is not as large of a barrier as most people think.
If society is going to spend lot of money to spend on the problem, we should start investing it in the cultural shift to eating insects and see how far it can be taken via "influencer" and celebrity culture. It's a much easier problem than the alternatives.
https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-good-for-you-good-for-the-environment-14337 https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-good-for-you-good...
https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sense-in-africa-the-world-must-catch-up-70419 https://theconversation.com/eating-insects-has-long-made-sen...
Before you downvote, look at the projected market size, even without an intentional cultural shift:
https://fortune.com/2019/06/28/edible-insects/ https://fortune.com/2019/06/28/edible-insects/
- deworms 5y agoOk, billionaires and politicians first.
- a5aAqU 5y ago"Influencers" and billionaries will probably happen before the rest of the public does. Billionaires should get on board before someone else does. > By 2030, the global industry for edible insects, sold whole or in a smoothie-ready powder, will grow from sales of $1 billion to $8 billion, according to a report from Barclays and Meticulous Research. https://fortune.com/2019/06/28/edible-insects/ https://fortune.com/2019/06/28/edible-insects/
- deworms 5y agoAccording to those who have invested in the nightmareish companies who produce these abominations, their investments will skyrocket soon.
- a5aAqU 5y agoThe global food market is worth trillions of dollars. People in many countries eat insects. It doesn't have to start with people in the US who have never really given serious consideration to it. I've traveled a lot and seen how people's perceptions of foods change when they are exposed to new things. I don't think edible insects is a huge stretch if it were done in the right way.
- airstrike 5y agoI don't know about you, but I find lobsters much meatier than grasshoppers...
- a5aAqU 5y agoMany great ideas sound ridiculous at first. That's why most people don't build new things. Convincing people that insects are a good food source is far less of a challenge than what many successful companies have done (or hope to do).
- oxfordmale 5y agoI have tried eating insects.The taste is fine, but I don't like the crunchiness of it. On the other hand I did try meat substitute and they are much more palatable
- a5aAqU 5y agoIt will take time for people to get used to it. You don't necessarily eat something like a "bowl of crickets", but you can grind them up and add to dishes, like protein smoothies.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]