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Are you aware of the
environmental costs of eating meat? Is
eating insects a good alternative (rather than, say, becoming a
vegetarian)? How easy is it to change
people’s eating habits and what techniques do you think would work? Would you like to try eating insects? Will eating insects eventually catch on?
First of all, it is needed to be said that I really like the topic of the article. Althought I find the insects disgusting, I strongly believe that this kind of meal will catch on. Actually, when I was in China or Thailand, eating insects was kind of an ordinary act. Nobody thought about it (except from tourists). This is, for me, the strongest proof, why I can imagine having being offered insect products. I may bet in a few years the McDonald's will offer something like "Wormburger" or "Caterpillar shake". The only reason why we do not find those small animals in out stores is the question of disgus. I am quite familiar with the article in the point that animal products are disgusting at all for mankind. However, are they truly so disgusting? Especially, insects? Vast majority of people who suffer from arachnophobia have never been hurt by a spider. The fear usually comes from gossips. And that is it - gossips. Somebody said that insects are disgusting and now it is a rule for the whole world. What I am trying to say is that eating insects does not have to be disgusting for all of us. It is up on you how you will bear it.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, the more you are somewhere the more adapted you get. Which means, the more popular eating insects is, the more people stop being disgusted. Of course there will be always a group of people who will never try them out, but it will be exactly the same as it is now with vegetarians. In my opinion, it could be good to start with showing the people living in our country that the insects may be the same meal as sushi or even everyday chicken. I suggest publishing all pros, nutrients and essential sides of eating insects, which were mentioned in the article as well. Furthermore, from my personal experience, many people do not really know the purpose of proteins. If they did they would probaby get used to eating insects. Mainly women are trying crazy and many times not really delicious recipes only for "being healthy or skiny". What else may be the better advert if not "100% fresh and natural worms - muscle builders"? Furthermore, I strongly agree with one idea mentioned in the article. It is not very clear there, but I would say: "The name sells product." If you want to sell your old car and you will not say it is 10 years old and nothing works you have a better chance in selling it. The same it is with insects. You will need more worms called for instance "muscle burners" then worms of the same type called "garden worms". In my opinion, whole people eating habits in general are based on information which they are given.
To sum it up, I think that publishing articles and information about eating insects can lead to having those creatures on menu. From my point of view, insects may be another form of food for the whole planet as for example duck is. There will be the people who will be against this idea and will not ever try it, but I am definitely FOR eating insects. Moreover, as article says, normal animals like chickens are not good for our environment. So keep calm and eat caterpillars. Laura proves that even vegetarians may love it.
Firstly, I find the topic of this article very accurate and interesting. I must admit that I have never thought of environmental problems caused by food production and I have not realized that there is still higher and higher demand for the food, as the world’s population is growing. So I made a small research and found out that there are more than 880 million of undernourished people in the world and the population growth makes around 2 million people so far this year (retrieved January 9, 2015, from www.worldometers.info).
ReplyDeleteFor this reason, I think that insect eating is really, as entomophagy experts say, an elegant solution. What is possible disgust in comparison with soil and water pollution, alarming levels of greenhouse gases and millions of hungry people? For me, it is just amazing that such a tiny creepy creature can be used to solve several severe problems. Maybe it sounds like a cliché, but I see no cons in entomophagy. “Breeding” of insects requires less space than livestock, they can be fed on refuse and it is even more effective in a feed conversion. Furthermore, insects are full of essential nutrients and proteins. They can also be used instead of more expensive ingredients for livestock feeding, what is good for these who are strongly against insect consumption to make their favourite meat more affordable.
In addition, I have already heard of eating insects in some countries (and I have seen Bear Grylls doing it too) but I have never thought of it becoming usual all around the world. I would not even dream of caterpillar being served in the school canteen and I think I am not alone. I see quite a big problem in making people eat insects. I personally would not mind it and I admire the idea of Laura D’Asaro and also other companies. Afraid and disgusted consumers should not have difficulties with putting slimy bodies, hairy appendages and mosaic eyes into their mouths if they are transferred into an ordinary substance used in cooking,. Moreover, according to the article there are about 1900 edible insect species so far. So I think that everyone will find some tasty pieces. In my opinion, it needs to be “served” to the world in a very mild way and all the positive facts should be widely propagated. However, I still think that it will not catch up in the near future. A majority of people will be unwilling to eat insects until they are forced to do so because of, for example, the lack of meat or unbearable effects on the environment caused by livestock industry.
In conclusion, after reading this article all these things clicked. I even did not have to try insects as Laura did in Africa. I see the disgust as the smallest problem if insects are the right way to deal with more significant global problems. I am absolutely for and I am looking forward to trying some insect deliciousness.
“Good evening, welcome to our restaurant. Here is the menu. We have a special salad with fresh vegetables, goat cheese and roasted maggots in olive oil today. Or would you like a tomato-caterpillar soup? I recommend it, it's really delicious.” Will we be asked questions like these in the future after entering a restaurant? It is very probable.
ReplyDeleteIt was mentioned in the article that the demand for animal products is rising rapidly as economies grow. It is completely understandable fact. I want to pinpoint what stands behind actual buying meat at the shop, what consequences livestock industry has and that it is largely about economy. Livestock rearing and poultry farming is expensive. Import and storage costs are considerable too. We have to deforest places for making spaces for rearing cattle. We feed animals with the food we could have fed people, its cereal crops, fish meat, soybeans. Hundreds litres of drinking water are needed for preparation of packed meat we buy in a shop. Seas and oceans are slowly becoming empty because we catch too many fish to gratify people's demand. A developed countries of Europe, don't have problems with meat industry but poor developing countries can't simply afford big kennels and complex meat industry. In developing countries live the poorest people, who are not able to feed themselves and their families. They are forced to look for the cheapest and most accessible foods. They found it in eating bugs as their ancestors when they could not have snagged animal. So, from the economic point of view, we can only assume how world’s economic situation will look like and whether countries will be able to afford rearing casual animals or if we will be dependent on bugs.
Regarding to people and their tastes, well… I think people are curious enough and they can be big fans of progress. There are already 1900 edible maggots, which is a big spectrum of tastes. Not to mention that maggots have a lot of proteins and micronutrients for example iron and zinc, as I found out in the article, so they are really healthy for us. Moreover, they require less water than cow, they don't need so much space and have many more advantages. 2 billion people already eat bugs, which is quite a lot. Even though I hate all the types of bugs, I think entomophagy has future in all the parts of the world. Eventually we will see if entomophagy will be able to replace a casual rearing of animals.