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Crickets on the menu

March 23, 2017

As the world population grows, new sources of protein are needed. Land scarcity and climate change mean expanding conventional farming might not be sustainable. Does the answer lie in insects?

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Eco@africa | Mann mit Insekt
Image: DW

The world's population is set to grow to a whopping 9 billion people by 2050. And to feed all those people we'll have to produce twice as much food as we do now. Organizations like the UN say it's imperative to find new ways of growing food to ensure people don't go hungry. One billion people are already chronically hungry worldwide.

But with land scarcity, overfishing and threats from climate change, traditional farming of cattle and other sources of animal protein, likely won't be sustainable in the future. Some are looking at edible insects as an alternative. 

While many in Europe would now balk at the prospect of chowing down on a cricket, insects are already a popular treat in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Check out how they stack up against beef in terms of nutritional value and sustainability in the below gallery.