A bug in the system

I’ve lost track of the number of features I’ve seen joyfully hailing the edible insect revolution, entitled ‘Grub’s up!’ Barclays has released a report which predicts that the market for edible insects will hit $8 billion by 2030, and you can already buy Smoky BBQ Crunchy Roasted Crickets in Sainsbury’s. Research last month showed that certain species of edible insect contain higher quantities of antioxidants than freshly squeezed orange juice. Bugs are officially on track to become not just the ethical and environmental solution to protein provision, but a superfood as well.

But wait. As with most food fads, these pronunciations are coming early, and are based on scant evidence. Everyone longs to believe that edible insects are the answer, now that we know what a toll the meat industry takes on the environment. And there’s no question that meat production is a major cause of environmental change, driving deforestation and production of greenhouse gases.