Edible insects are part of the solution in the transition toward a more resilient and sustainable food system

The
impact of
insects

The global protein challenge:
• Today 85% of our arable land is already in use and is not enough to meet the increasing demand for primary proteins (crops) production which is expected to grow by 50% until 2050*
• Currently used protein sources are resource-intensive and to meet the demands of the growing population, which is expected to reach 9,8 Bn by 2050, we need to search for alternative protein resources**
• Commercial insect farming is considered to have a low environmental footprint, requiring minimal water, energy, and land resources***

Edible insects are the sustainable choice for reconnecting the agri-food chains - from ’farm to fork’ and beyond:****
• Farmed insects reduce the dependency on imported sources of protein - they generate local products, using underutilized by-products from the agri-food industries****
• Out of the 90 million tons of food wasted annually in the EU, circa 1/3 could be safely upcycled through insect bioconversion****
• Insects can help to create a circular food system - they are nature's most powerful upcyclers****

Land

• Traditional protein sources like meat and soy use up a large amount of land
• In terms of land use, vertical principles used in insect farms are highly productive
Land (m2) required to produce 100 g of protein: mealworms – 1.8; beef – 163.6; pulses (peas) – 3.4*****

Greenhouse
gas
emissions

Food accounts for over a quarter (26%) of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions*****
• The FAO considers that livestock accounts for 14.5% of GHG emissions******
Greenhouse gases (kg CO2-e) produced for 100 g of protein: mealworms – 2.7; beef – 49.89; pulses (peas) – 0.44*****

Water

• 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture*****
• Insects require minimum water resource
Water (l) required to produce 100 g of protein: mealworms – 2300; beef – 11200; pulses (peas) – 1800*****

References
* FAO, 2021. World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2021. Rome. 
https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4477en
** FAO, 2022. 2050: A third more mouths to feed.
https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/35571/icode/
*** Ponce-Reyes R and Lessard BD (2021) "Edible Insects - A roadmap for the strategic growth of an emerging Australian industry", CSIRO, Canberra.
****Edible insects have the potential to reconnect the agri-food chains - from ’farm to fork’ and beyond, IPIFF.
https://ipiff.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IPIFF-Connecting-local-agricultural-supply-chains.pdf
*****Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2020) "Environmental Impacts of Food Production".
Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impacts-of-food
******FAO, 2022. Key facts and findings. https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/

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