Would you eat an insect if it meant that you were doing your part to save the earth as a world citizen? You might do it as a one-off, or as a dare among your friends, but chances are that insects aren’t really your preferred food at the moment, and you are not among the minority that considers grasshopper scratchings a treat on a Friday night at the pub. So why would you even condescend to even consider that thought and let it dwell in your head?
The truth is that such diets have been growing in popularity. Now diets have always been some sort of fad, as if someone thinks that one day we will stumble upon some sort of protein, carbohydrate and fat combination that allows us to eat as much food as we want, not have to exercise and still be ripped. Vegetarian diets and vegan diets have been getting more and more popular – but what is the reason for that? The reason is that meat production – especially beef from cows – accounts for more than twenty-five percent of greenhouse gas output by human beings. Reducing the consumption of meat would help reduce carbon emissions.
The problem also with reducing meat consumption is that the world population is growing and we cannot afford to carry on with this level of consumption. The world population stands at 7.5 billion people, and there is a finite amount of land for livestock farming. World population currently increases at a billion every two decades or less, and the growth will be exponential (the more people there are, the faster the population increases) so it is inevitable that there will not be enough meat for increasing populations. The solution, as some suggest, is to switch to an insect diet, for they are plentiful, but whether or not these take off really depends on how palatable they are, and how palatable the idea is!
Perhaps a chance encounter with someone who truly believes in this may change your reservations, if you have any. After all, the classical composer Leonard Bernstein, who had a successful career in music, would not have done so had his aunt not left a piano in his house while she was going through a separation. (Learn more about Bernstein from the Piano Lessons Archway website. The same goes for the blind Spanish composer, Joaquin Rodrigo, who would have stopped his career at its outset had he not met people who inspired him in spite of disability. (Read about Rodrigo from the Piano Lessons Archway page.
Eating insects may be a no-go for some for now, but as history shows us, a chance trial may be enough to change our minds!