Edible insects could save the planet – if we’ll eat them

This month we are teaming up with Yum Bug for the launch of London’s first-ever insect-based restaurant. Yes, you heard it. Insects. Each dish will be made from crickets, and served with a hearty dollop of Rubies condiments.

Bugs and restaurants doesn’t sound a winning combination, and rightly you might be asking: why are we doing it?

Well, comparing 1kg of crickets to 1kg of beef, crickets contain two to three times more protein and a lot more iron, vitamins and fibre. So our little crawly friends serve us pretty well, and they also serve our planet well. They need 2,000 times less water and 12 times less feed to produce, as well as creating 80% less methane than cows.

So why haven’t we all gone insect crazy?

As we’re all aware, drastic change is needed to preserve the future of our planet. In my opinion, it starts with addressing our food system.

One-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to the production and consumption of food. The constant growth of the world’s population puts further pressure on natural resources such as water, land and energy. Then there’s the ever-turbulent global climate and unpredictable weather cycles damaging the reliability of food supply.

Therefore, in the context of achieving our environmental targets and reducing global warming, edible insects are a hot topic.

There is still some learning to be done on how we scale insect farming economically, but even if that is achieved, the bigger question is: will we eat it?

Well, some of us already do. Around two billion people eat insects on a daily basis. Insect eating has been part of a healthy diet in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Australia for centuries, but it’s still pretty alien to us in the west. As children we are taught to fear or avoid bugs.

But thanks to great innovative brands like Yum Bug, who are turning insects into ingredients such as mince, meat strips and flours to use in cooking, we might be able to remove the squeamish tendencies around insects, and be able to utilise their nutritional and environmental benefits.

So, will you give them a go? Or better still, join us at Yum Bug’s pop-up restaurant this October in London.