“CBS Saturday Morning” featured a segment suggesting that adding insects to the diet could provide benefits for a growing world affected by climate change.
To counteract meat, soy-derived proteins or other high-carbon foods, the segment outlined efforts by climate experts and scientists to explore agricultural insects to protect the planet.
“We all know how important insects are to the environment, but climate researchers say insects could be a game changer in the fight to protect the planet in ways you may not have imagined,” said host Dana Jacobson.
Reporter Tina Kraus explained: “Adding a few insects to the mix is a custom in cooking in some parts of the world. Now, climate experts believe that protein-packed pests could offer a real solution to the global food crisis. Scientists in Germany aren’t pushing the critters on their plate, they see another benefit.”
An interviewed scientist said that his intention is not to force the presence of insects on menus, but to use them as an alternative for animal feed.
“To have a more sustainable protein production, we need this and I see insects as a perfect tool,” argued the scientist. “And you can do so many things with insects and make the world better.”
Kraus explained that this development is a reaction to the “large-scale growth of soybeans” which has been “blamed for extensive deforestation” while agricultural insects require less food and water to sustain themselves.
“An estimated 1.2 trillion insects are raised on farms each year as companies race to find a high-protein, low-carbon solution to feed animals and the world’s population,” Kraus said.
Jacobson concluded: “And with insect breeding booming around the world, researchers are as busy as bees looking for more climate-friendly solutions.”
Climate change activists, including world leaders and celebrities, have advocated for people to incorporate insects into their daily diets as a way to sustain the planet.
According to a recent study from Michigan State University, many insects, contrary to previous prediction models, are expected to survive and even thrive in warmer climates.
However, this drive to push people to eat bugs has met with fierce opposition in the United States.
In March, a Utah schoolteacher was caught on video insisting to her students that eating bugs is a necessity to help the environment.
“We don’t want to eat bugs and it’s gross. But should we be eating insects? Yes, because we are killing the world by raising cows and animals. So, we should not get rid of the cows, but try to balance our diet so that a lot of our land is not used to raise cows, because it is killing the ozone layer,” said the teacher. “All the evidence has suggested that we probably should be eating insects, it’s good for the environment, etc. But he didn’t know that that was an offensive topic to indicate.”
