‘Europe as a whole wants to be more self-sufficient when it comes to food,’ says Birgir Örn Smárason, the project manager of NextGenProteins in the article. ‘And if Europe is to meet the sustainable development goals and targets to limit climate change, sustainable protein sources will need to play a part. Edible insects, for example, can be reared using 50% to 90% less land in comparison to conventional livestock and produce about 100 times less greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, they can be fed organic waste – discarded food that often ends up in landfill.
Despite the promise of bug protein, using insects as animal and human food has yet to catch on. Technical issues mean they can’t be reared in large enough quantities. Regulation is a sticking point. Current EU legislation permits insects as feed in aquaculture but not for livestock. However, exemptions are soon expected to be made for poultry and pigs. And insects are still a niche human food sold only in some countries. That could change soon though as the European Food Safety Authority is expected to approve some edible insects for human consumption this year.’
Read the full article here.