What if you are told to replace your hamburger with a mealworm? According to a scientific study, insects could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that replacing half of the world's meat with locusts and mealworms could reduce agricultural land currently used for livestock by one-third. In addition, it would significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Even a small increase in
household insects could be very beneficial for the planet , the researchers added. Scientists opt for a sustainable diet
" A mix of small changes in consumer behavior, such as replacing beef with chicken, reducing food waste, and potentially consuming insects more frequently, would save land and contribute to a more sustainable food system.""
said Peter Alexander , of University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences and Scotland's Rural College , in a statement.
The research published in the journal Global Food Security is the first study to compare the production of conventional meat with other foods, such as insects, alternatives to meat such as tofu and artificial meat grown in the laboratory.
This study showed that insects and meat alternatives were by far the most sustainable because they require less energy and less land to produce. According to the United Nations , livestock is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions and cattle are the animal species responsible for most emissions, with about 65% of emissions.
Artificial meat, a false good idea for countering greenhouse gas emissions?
The researchers found that lab-grown meat was no more durable than chicken or eggs, requiring about the same area of land but using more energy in production.
Note that lab-grown meat, or " artificial " meat , is considered one of the best feats in the meat and environment industry.
Insect culture, a promising alternative:
However, this study demonstrates that " the benefits attributed to cultivated meat may not be justified ". Indeed, the whole process (from the laboratory setting to the treatment of the product through sterilization and hydrolysis) ends up being similar to the breeding of poultry.
Further research is needed on large scale insect production. However, it seems that the real challenge is to convince consumers to give up their steaks and turn to mealworms.