By Eleonora Arca, Emily Costello, and Christine Wenzel
Meat production is a highly resource-intensive activity that requires large amounts of feed crops, freshwater, land, and other inputs. Compared to other industries, animal husbandry also produces high amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has negative impacts on the environment. Furthermore, overgrazing erodes soils, livestock waste pollutes groundwater, and expansive pastures threaten biodiversity while increasing human exposure to zoonotic diseases.
To achieve SDG targets like SDG 2.2, which aims to eliminate malnutrition, without conflicting with other goals – such as SDG 13.2 (reducing emissions) and SDG 15.5 (halting natural habitat degradation) – shifting diets and consuming alternative protein sources that minimize environmental harm are essential.
While consumed throughout human history, insects have more recently emerged in global dialogues on food systems as a promising alternative to animal protein. Insects are nutritionally dense and, depending on the species, have high protein content (20-70%), are rich in fats (10-50%), amino acids (46-96%), fiber (8.5-27%), and even contain relatively high amounts of minerals such as B vitamins, calcium, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
Furthermore, compared to livestock, edible insects have a faster growth rate, drastically smaller requirements for land and water, and substantially lower GHG emissions, meaning the insect industry could have a key role in sustainably transforming current food systems. In 2021, livestock worldwide produced nearly 4 million tons of nitrous oxide and over 112 kilotons of methane through animals’ digestion, product processing, and emissions from the supply chain. Additionally, for every kilogram of mass gained in cattle, 2,850 grams of GHGs are produced. In contrast, only one gram of GHGs is produced for every kilogram of mass gained in insects.
The number of edible insects being recognized as suitable for human consumption is rising, with roughly two thousand species being consumed worldwide throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region. Popular edible insects include crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and termites. As of 2020, around 1 trillion insects are raised on farms yearly. In 2023, the insect market was valued at USD 602.3 million and is expected to grow to USD 3.1 billion in the next decade. Such growth reveals the increasing global interest in diversifying protein sources and reflects a rising hope that insects could improve our unsustainable protein industry.
Simultaneously, squeamishness is an often-cited barrier to more widespread consumption in Western populations, particularly when the insects are in whole and recognizable forms. In response, innovative food processing methods are helping to make insect protein more appealing. Insect farms are pulverizing their products into protein supplement powders for families, school lunches, medical centers, and humanitarian relief organizations. Other versions of powdered, minced, or cooked insects are added to baked goods, soups, protein bars, coffee, and meat and dairy replacements for hamburgers, sausages, and eggs. As more is known about insects and their many adaptable ways to supplement or replace food items in our diets, the industry will likely see a gradual increase in demand.
However, the lack of regulatory frameworks for edible insects worldwide has stalled innovation and larger-scale production in the industry. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides little guidance on edible insects. In 2019, the EU drafted a bill to create hygiene standards specifically for edible insects, but the initiative was abandoned two years later.
Establishing clear food safety and hygiene standards could protect consumer health and accelerate insect farming expansion in both high-consumption countries and regions with developing insect farming industries. Instituting guidelines would light a path forward for the industrial-scale development of insect farming and processing. In combination with incentives such as subsidies or tax breaks, governments could encourage innovative schemes for expanding insect protein products into new markets.
The growth of the global edible insect industry and reduction in animal protein production offer many benefits in food security, economic development, and the environment, contributing to multiple SDGs. Although shifting consumer preferences may take time, trials show a growing willingness to try insect protein-enriched foods, suggesting that insects may offer a pathway to a more sustainable food system. With greater support from consumers and policymakers, this shift could gain significant momentum and entirely change how people see protein.
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This article was authored by Eleonora Arca, Emily Costello, and Christine Wenzel. Arca is a Master of International Development candidate, Costello is a Master of International Affairs candidate, and Wenzel is a Master of Public Administration candidate at The George Washington University.