Insects may solve world hunger.

squod · 07-10-2011 09:14AM #1

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/09/16/Scientist-pushing-insects-as-food-source/UPI-34471316185904/

Looks like this idea is gaining momentum in the media. For every step along he food-chain we go, the amount of waste increases. Insects are also environmentally friendly and they require much reduced food and space.

The term ''micro-livestock'' has already been coined. Because they grow faster and require up to 90% less resources than an animal further up the food-chain, scientists see this as the the future as a replacement for conventional food when it falls short.

Would people be willing to eat bugs instead of burgers? Grubs for yer grub? Flies to go etc.......

Snakeblood · 07-10-2011 09:16AM

squod wrote: »

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/09/16/Scientist-pushing-insects-as-food-source/UPI-34471316185904/

Looks like this idea is gaining momentum in the media. For every step along he food-chain we go, the amount of waste increases. Insects are also environmentally friendly and they require much reduced food and space.

The term ''micro-livestock'' has already been coined. Because they grow faster and require up to 90% less resources than an animal further up the food-chain, scientists see this as the the future as a replacement for conventional food when it falls short.

Would people be willing to eat bugs instead of burgers? Grubs for yer grub? Flies to go etc.......

I'd be totally on for this. Barbecuing an ant over an open fire. Mmm.

Biggins · 07-10-2011 09:16AM

Speaking just for myself, no.
I'm fond of me burgers!

Joey the lips · 07-10-2011 09:18AM

I would eat anything with garlic sauce including "your ma!"

Aglomerado · 07-10-2011 09:18AM

MMMMMMMM chitin..... crunchy............

Saila · 07-10-2011 09:19AM

I blame bear grylls

CreepingDeath · 07-10-2011 09:19AM

Cannibalism is the way to go.
As the population increases so does the food supply.

Monty Burnz · 07-10-2011 09:19AM

What is a 'no way hose'?

:pac:

super_furry · 07-10-2011 09:27AM

Most people have already eaten beetles - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal

leggit · 07-10-2011 09:27AM

Had a bbq grasshopper before, wasn't half bad!

They'd have to make it look good, you could mash a load of grubs/spiders into a burger shape and grill it??

squod · 07-10-2011 09:47AM

Farming insects will be fairly easy. Wonder if if they'll take off over here.

FetchTheGin · 07-10-2011 09:49AM

Monty Burnz wrote: »

What is a 'no way hose'? :pac:

Maybe the OP has a big nose.

Gurgle · 07-10-2011 09:52AM

squod wrote: »

Would people be willing to eat bugs instead of burgers?

Willing is just a case of how hungry you are, so for the first world NEVER... bugs are for poor people.

smellslikeshoes · 07-10-2011 09:56AM

Surely a plant based diet would be a more sensible (and more efficient?) option.

squod · 07-10-2011 09:58AM

Gurgle wrote: »

Willing is just a case of how hungry you are, so for the first world NEVER... bugs are for poor people.

As bugs become lucrative to farm it'll make traditional livestock less attractive as a business proposition. Scientists are saying in the future your meat and two veg might become premium foods.

07-10-2011 10:01AM

I ate all sorts of bugs in china scorpions were nice deep fried. larvae things not so much.
I think irish bugs are a little small to be a sustainable food source, I mean imagine chasing a daddy long legs around for an hour then what, thats all the dinner you get for your work :eek:

Icyseanfitz · 07-10-2011 10:03AM

yeah and next we will start drinking piss i assume

starbelgrade · 07-10-2011 10:04AM

A flea hopped into a bar, drank half a bottle of whiskey and left.

A bit worse for the wear, where he looked around and said, "OK... Who moved my dog?"

books4sale · 07-10-2011 10:05AM

I guess been the human race we'll eat pretty much anything in tough times to survive.

Food shortages ain't the problem though. There's more than enough to go around for everyone without having to eat insects. Problem is some on this planet been acting like selfish greedy dirty pigs, takin' more than their fair share and then some......

George Carlin explains better then I ever could. Thanks to another thread poster for putting me on to this guy, a breath of fresh air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLRQvK2-iqQ&feature=related

human repellent · 07-10-2011 10:20AM

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

I ate all sorts of bugs in china scorpions were nice deep fried. larvae things not so much.
I think irish bugs are a little small to be a sustainable food source, I mean imagine chasing a daddy long legs around for an hour then what, thats all the dinner you get for your work :eek:

Yes because for dinner i go chasing cattle around the field, NO! I let them bread, then I purchase them in a supermarket, nothing is changing here bar what you buy on the shelf.

syklops · 07-10-2011 10:46AM

Years ago my mother was in africa visiting a friend.. He lived in this big house and had a couple of servants. One night they had a big party and the house boy made all the food, and everyone had a great time. When the party was over there was some food left over and my mother said to her friend"You should offer some of the left overs to the guy who made it and he can take it home", and the friend said "No, he thinks this tastes like ****. There is rain forcast tonight, so he will be out under the street lights with a bucket collecting grubs and worms that are coming up".

Are crustaceans not basically insects?We have no issues eating them. I dont anyway.

revell · 07-10-2011 10:47AM

extract protein from dry bugs and add it into vegetarian food may be a good idea for cheap but nutrition-balanced food. but i won't eat them though:eek:

smellslikeshoes · 07-10-2011 11:06AM

revell wrote: »

extract protein from dry bugs and add it into vegetarian food may be a good idea for cheap but nutrition-balanced food. but i won't eat them though:eek:

There is no lack of protein in vegetarian food, beans rice etc. have plenty of it.
This whole concept is silly. If feeding the world is the aim large scale production of high protein grains and legumes such as soya would do it a hell of a lot better than insects.

revell · 07-10-2011 11:12AM

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

There is no lack of protein in vegetarian food, beans rice etc. have plenty of it.
This whole concept is silly. If feeding the world is the aim large scale production of high protein grain such as soya would do it a hell of a lot better than insects.

but I know is that some types of protein do not exist in veg products. they only exist in meat and diary product. if bug meat is like real meat, problem solved.

Kasabian · 07-10-2011 11:21AM

I have been having oral sex all night and now fear cancer. A few insects might tip me over the edge.

goose2005 · 07-10-2011 11:22AM

What's wrong with mushrooms? They grow on anything, don't need light or space

revell wrote: »

but I know is that some types of protein do not exist in veg products. they only exist in meat and diary product. if bug meat is like real meat, problem solved.

No, you can get all your protein from plants so long as you eat the right variety.

Scotty # · 07-10-2011 11:35AM

Insects may solve world hunger?

Politics cause world hunger not a food shortage. We have mountains and mountains of unused food every year. We produce so much that the EU pay our farmers NOT to produce any.

Kasabian · 07-10-2011 11:41AM

Anyone that has had a meal in America will see that there is no shortage of food.

cowzerp · 07-10-2011 11:54AM

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Surely a plant based diet would be a more sensible (and more efficient?) option.

If Human's always had that mentality we would still be living in the tree's-the thing that apparently moved Humans on brain wise was learning the knowledge of Fire-Why? because we could cook meat-it massively helped the brains develop, not my theory-that is science.

joseph brand · 07-10-2011 11:56AM

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I dunno why she swallowed that fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I dunno why she swallowed that fly -
Perhaps she'll die.

She should have deep fried em all. Sorted.

We don't need to worry bout food here, there's loads.

MORE THAN 50,000 tonnes of Irish potatoes have been exported to Russia and three more shiploads are due to leave Ireland in the next two weeks. This is the first time Ireland has exported potatoes to Russia.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0222/1224290514198.html

joseph brand · 07-10-2011 12:02PM

cowzerp wrote: »

If Human's always had that mentality we would still be living in the tree's-the thing that apparently moved Humans on brain wise was learning the knowledge of Fire-Why? because we could cook meat-it massively helped the brains develop, not my theory-that is science.

Herbivores turn vegetation into meat. Therefore:
Grass = Meat
Meat = Grass.

The smartest animals eat meat. Dumb ones don't. Simple.
Unless someday a cow will prove me wrong by outsmarting a raven or a chimp.

Insects may solve world hunger.

Insects as food? 72 votes

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