The environmental footprint of insects versus meat

Use of resources and the environmental impact of framing insects versus livestock.

Production of 1 kg of protein.

Source: Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022 // Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2022.

Today, consumers are more responsible and look for food brands with a minimal environmental impact. Crickets are sustainable protein because they pollute less than any protein of animal origin in terms of the use of land, space, water, and CO2 emissions.

Crickets, like most other insects, have a high feed-conversion efficiency rate, which is measured in kg of feed per kg of weight gain. This is an animal’s capacity to convert feed into increased body mass.

Current food production systems and supply chains are expected to be challenged by population growth and increasing rates of environmental damage, changing climates, mismanaged land, and pandemics. These factors signal the need to diversify the protein industry.

Inventive actions need to be undertaken to meet the cumulative nutrition demand through high-quality protein sources and cricket protein could very well be one of the solutions.