There's evidence coming out of south and central America that GM crops are producing less after five years or so whilist still using more in the way of pesticides so we shouldn't pin too many hopes there, besides GMO's are being pushed by the evil bar stewards of Monsanto and the like so that's good enough for me to want to avoid. I'm not fully sure that there will be widespread consumption of insects in the west but agree with T_S that if made into burgers or sausages it will be more acceptable. Perhaps a first step would be for people to start reconsuming offal which is nowadays largely disregarded by many .I know of many who won't touch a pigs trotter for example when ''you can get a proper piece of meat''.Devonian wrote:No I don't believe that will happen - GM Crops all the waytwilight_shadow wrote:I have been partially involved with bugs as human food for the last few years, and I think it is something that future generations will have to countenance as part of their everyday nutritional intake once the developing world decides that its own land is for the use of its indigenous peoples rather than us in the West.
The question therefore remains with us, in the Western world, as to whether we can possibly EAT bugs as part of our daily diet. Yes, bugs would have been eaten in past European ages but we have to equate the past with the modern perception of foodstuff in the western world today. My best bet is that within 10 years we end up adding crushed or pulverised bugs with burgers and breads. You probably wouldn't notice much of a difference from the burgers that you buy now.
In regions of Africa (Nigeria is one), they have been researching mixing powdered 'lake flies' with flour to produce 'fortified' breads... providing meat proteins that the poorest people cannot buy for themselves... and that scenario could be extended across many cultures... including our own in times of desperation... or social breakdown.
The UN FAO has regular publications on bugs as food, and last year I contributed an asked-for snippet myself to one of their bug publications. The names to watch out for, as in Googling about edible bugs, are Patrick Durst in the SE Asia / (UN FAO) Thailand area, and Professors Marcel Dicke and Arnold van Huis. These last two guys are at the forefront of promoting bug eating and brilliant at presenting bug eating to Western audiences.
On the subject of mini farms I remember seeing someone who combined a hydroponics system with edible fish in the water.
