In view of the increasing demands on our nutritional systems, insect breeding is a sustainable alternative that supports the principles of the circular economy.
A directional Ordinance of the European Union has officially prepared the way for new culinary adventures: since February it has been allowed to use mealworm powder in various foods such as bread, pasta, cheese and even jam.
For some cultures in which insects have been consumed for centuries, this is nothing new. In others, the reactions range from confusion to real concern.
Regardless of this, the new regulation will have an impact on companies and the global supply chain. We want to illuminate these in more detail below.
Why mealworms are sustainable
Against the background of global population growth, the search for sustainable protein sources is becoming increasingly important. In view of the increasing demands on our nutritional systems, insect breeding is a sustainable alternative that supports the principles of the circular economy. Many governments see this a positive, brave step to support the development of alternative proteins on an insect base. And even the federal government has a total of 2024 in its budget 38 million euros provided for the promotion of plant and alternative protein sources.
Breeding insects has attracted so much attention in the past ten years because it has an important role in reducing the CO2-Missions plays, according to estimates 12 percent the global greenhouse gas emissions caused by the livestock economy. In contrast, the CO can be used by insect breeding2-Missions compared to conventional cattle breeding by up to 80 percent reduce.
The area and water consumption is significantly lower in the production of insect protein than in traditional cattle industries. For the production of one kilo beef are around 15 to 20 km2 Area needed. This includes both pasture and arable land for feed cultivation. In contrast, only around 0.5 to 1 m2 Area required to create a kilo of cricket protein – 95 percent to 97 percent less space is used than in beef production.
As far as water consumption is concerned, around 15,415 liters of water are required for the production of one kilo of beef. The mealworm breed, on the other hand, is much more efficient and requires only around 500 liters of water per kilo generated protein – and thus 96.8 percent less than beef production.
Larvae as a waste recycling company
Modular breeding systems are particularly associated with the topic of insect breeding. These can be erected at various locations and enables farmers to enable breeding and masting insects using organic waste that are generated on site. This also addresses the problem of waste disposal and a sustainable protein source is created, while significantly fewer transports are required and emissions are reduced.
This can be illustrated using a simple scenario.
Imagine a company that implemented a modular insect breeding system to produce protein -rich meals on the base of the protein on site. The company uses its own waste or bio -waste from households and restaurants in the area to feed the insect larvae and can then further process these larvae into valuable products such as animal feed or fertilizers. This system not only depends on the problem of waste disposal, but also creates a sustainable, local protein source, reduces emissions and waste revenue and opens up new sources of income.
If you have never heard of the larvae of the black soldier flying, I would like to briefly introduce these masters of natural waste disposal. These insects are very good users of food waste and help to land less waste on landfills and produce fewer methane emissions. Another impressive insect is the mealworm, which can even eat plastic. By -products of these insects, such as insect droppings, can be used as nutrient -rich organic fertilizers. This enables the soil quality to improve and reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers, which promotes a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
It is a win-win-win situation for insects, companies and sustainability.
Overcome the disgust factor
But let’s be honest: insects are not for everyone. When I see a beetle crawling on the floor, I instinctively shy away and get my cat to help as an emergency chamber hunter. The idea that food contains insects is literally difficult to swallow. But since sustainable, alternative protein sources worldwide are becoming increasingly popular, demand for edible insects is also growing.
Sustainability initiatives paired with corresponding official regulations and innovative start-ups have meant that the attitude of German consumers changes towards insect base. In Germany alone, the market for edible insects has been able to grow annually in recent years 24 percent record. The approval of mealworm powder as a safe food by the government is a concrete example of how legislative regulations encourage manufacturers to process insects as part of common products and thus make their consumption a bit of normality.
It will still take time for these products to be widely accepted worldwide, since public perception also changes slowly. But maybe flourworm jam will be the next viral hit that everyone wants to try, and we can experience how mealworms will be scarce in a few years!
Original text here.
