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Ways to start eating insects

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: Ways to start eating insects

#31

Post by Retric »

masklinn wrote: post #29
kspaans wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That cheapness is mainly due to non-priced-in externalities (greenhouse gas farts! water use!) and poor treatment of animals (not that I'm a PETA member or anything). EDIT: And as mentioned elsewhere: government subsidies in many countries (and/or import/export controls).

So you agree that there are meats which are cheap sources of protein?

Government subsidies don't actually lower economic prices. They just change who pays. Removing those subsidies would double most meat prices which means there far less 'cheap'.

There is increasing pressure to lower farming subsides in most of the world in part because food costs have already fallen so much. 1935 1/lb chicken $5.07 (inflation adj), 2011 1lb chicken: $1.34 But, also from a wide range of more politically charged issues.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#32

Post by sawwit »

GordonS wrote: post #19

> what they’re doing is feeding fly larvae on food waste to raise maggots. The maggots are processed into meal, which can be used as a high-protein feed for chickens, fish and pigs. The maggot meal stands to be more sustainable Now this I find interesting! It would be a much easier sell than humans eating the insects. I'd like to know more about the sustainability claims though - anyone know anything about this?

This site has some numbers: http://www.kunger.at/161540/1591397/overview/farm-432-insect...

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#34

Post by PerfectElement »

BenderV wrote: post #4
phreeza wrote: post #3

So why should we eat insects? The standard answer is: it is a cheap and sustainable source of protein. But I have yet to see a convincing argument that it is cheaper and more sustainable than soy protein, aka tofu.

I asked myself the same question. Why do we need to replace meat by something? Are vegans really lacking protein? Moreover, even if it's true, if we just take into account an important diminution of the meat consumption, will people lack proteins? I'm assuming we eat more meat than we ever did in our history.

Right, vegans are not protein deficient and many people thrive on high carb diets (see blue zones, adventist health studies, etc.) Unfortunately we've all been bombarded with the protein myth (more protein == healthier) and even the smart people of HN can't seem to question this belief objectively.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#35

Post by bitwize »

phreeza wrote: post #3

So why should we eat insects? The standard answer is: it is a cheap and sustainable source of protein. But I have yet to see a convincing argument that it is cheaper and more sustainable than soy protein, aka tofu.

A Dilbert comic, which I quoted upthread, had the PHB getting Wally and Dilbert to eat bugs as a test of what they're willing to do for his approval. The "insect diet" proposals are the same and that's all they are. The Earth is in crisis; are you willing to eat bugs if that's what it takes to save the environment? No? Then fuck you. Into the chipper-shredder with you, we'll recycle you into protein for starving refugees.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#36

Post by such_a_casual »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #24
such_a_casual wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't unique to meat and leaving out that information is misleading. Food in the US is heavily subsidized and overseen by the government for obvious reasons. Just like water is too important to leave to the free market, food is heavily regulated to ensure the health of the nation.

The point isn't about subsidies per se, the point is that vegetables are generally sustainable, while meat at this scale and with this demand is not. Subsidies only hide this fact from the consumer.

By that logic the government is hiding the fact that vegetables aren't economically sustainable either. You're just changing your definition of sustainable to fit your argument (from ecologically to economically and then back to ecologically when the economic part was shown to be false). Pick a definition and stick to it.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#37

Post by masklinn »

Retric wrote: post #31
masklinn wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you agree that there are meats which are cheap sources of protein?

Government subsidies don't actually lower economic prices. They just change who pays. Removing those subsidies would double most meat prices which means there far less 'cheap'. There is increasing pressure to lower farming subsides in most of the world in part because food costs have already fallen so much. 1935 1/lb chicken $5.07 (inflation adj), 2011 1lb chicken: $1.34 But, also from a wide range of more politicall…

> Government subsidies don't actually lower economic prices. They just change who pays. Removing those subsidies would double most meat prices which means there far less 'cheap'.

Removing those subsidies would not affect only meat.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#38

Post by dmm »

tomp wrote: post #14
pheroden wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some soy is fine, but if we're talking as completely replacing your meat, it could be too much estrogen like compounds. Hence breasts in men and an increased risk of breast cancer in women. I haven't seen enough studies to definitively rule these out. Besides, variety is always good. It's never wise to put all your eggs in a single basket.

There's just one thing I don't get... Too much carbohydrates are supposed to be bad. Too much soy is supposed to be bad. But the Japanese live the longest, so obviously they can't be that bad. So one of these assumptions must be false: - Japanese eat a lot of rice and/or soy (or products made from them) - Japanese have different genetics that allows them to avoid the negative effects of carbs/soy. We could probably t…

How much of the japanese diet is actually made up of soy? The numbers I've seen are <5%.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#39

Post by pilsetnieks »

dvdcxn wrote: post #23
pilsetnieks wrote: post #2

I somehow don't think this is what they mean with "eating insects is the future" with the $700 worm hive and $300 ant booze.

Well there isn't much industrialization on this front so of course these things are a luxury, and cost as such. Before pineapples were able to be cheaply grown and imported so the masses could afford them, they were revered as a treat only reserved for the upper echelon of society. Now, they're just another cheap fruit in the supermarket.

Side note: sometimes they weren't even a treat for the elite, they were rented to display in parties, and then returned.

Re: Ways to start eating insects

#40

Post by agentultra »

PerfectElement wrote: post #34
BenderV wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I asked myself the same question. Why do we need to replace meat by something? Are vegans really lacking protein? Moreover, even if it's true, if we just take into account an important diminution of the meat consumption, will people lack proteins? I'm assuming we eat more meat than we ever did in our history.

Right, vegans are not protein deficient and many people thrive on high carb diets (see blue zones, adventist health studies, etc.) Unfortunately we've all been bombarded with the protein myth (more protein == healthier) and even the smart people of HN can't seem to question this belief objectively.

And don't forget the cultural indoctrination in the West that meat is manliness. In the northern parts of the hemisphere when Spring rolls around the airwaves are inundated with advertisements for barbecues and beer. Meat from one source or another is the center piece for nearly every meal. And the restaurants, fast or otherwise, are only catering to this obsession with over-indulging in meat.

The only thing that seems to turn people off it are cholesterol and heart surgery.

Don't get me wrong a good steak is fucking delicious. But for me it's like cake. I can't and don't want to have it often. A good burger is good but to borrow a cliché: too much of a good thing...

Can we ever eat insects? Well... can you make it look and taste like a classic cheeseburger? Will I still get my Sunday bacon?

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