Compared to traditional cattle, insects may be grown more sustainably and are a nutrient-rich food source. While eating insects is common in many parts of the world, it is more likely to be viewed with distaste in western societies. As the advantages become more widely known, the consumption of insects has gradually expanded. More than 2,000 species that are edible have been found. But can this be done, and if so, will eating more insects actually lessen the environmental impact of food production?
Insects are rich in nutrition, protein, and fat. Depending on the species and lifecycle stage, the protein content of insects ranges between 40% and 60%. All of the necessary amino acids needed for human nutrition are also found in insects.
Adult crickets have a protein content of 65% by weight, which is more than that of both beef (23%) and tofu (8%). Minerals including copper, iron, and magnesium are abundant in insects. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that humans still consume insects in many parts of the world today. Compared to typical livestock, insects are much more effective at converting their grain into energy. For the same weight gain, adult crickets and mealworm larvae require 5–10 times less feed than cattle do.
Therefore, insect farming employs a fraction of the land, energy, and water needed for conventional livestock production to produce the same amount of nutrients. Creating food has an impact on the environment. There is, however, a lot of variance within this. For instance, the production of beef generates 100 times more greenhouse gas emissions than that of peas.
Insect farming often lies in the middle of these two options. It has a larger environmental impact than the majority of plant-based diets, yet it can be less harmful than the production of meat.
Insects and Indians
Even now, entomophagy, or eating insects, is a common habit in India's North East. It is a sociocultural phenomenon that developed through the ages as a result of the need and free will. 342 edible bug species from 10 orders are listed as being ingested in "The practise of entomophagism in India by indigenous people: past, present, and future." Native Americans typically eat insects, and there are 17 Indian states and one union territory where they do so. 94 ethnic groups in India's around 650 indigenous communities have been identified as eating insects in some way. It has been noted that indigenous people in India practise entomophagy due to their love of insects as well as their poverty.
The Nyishi and Galo tribes of Arunachal Pradesh eat ground cricket and short-horned grasshopper. During the Assamese holiday known as "Bohag Bihu," the Mishings and Ahom tribes of Assam consume red ants. Edible insects and insect-based food may be an effective, sustainable, and secure source of nourishment if they are kept and handled properly.