Insects: the new meat?

[Blobbenstein]

I suppose this really must be about the common misconception that you can only get the protein you need from an animal source.

 

[FortyTwo]

You've got to admire the bull headed lack of insight the hardcore carnists have when eating vegetables is seen as less of a logical solution to the problems caused by the meat industry than consuming insects.

Yeah. It's like, we already have vegetable farms. Even speaking from a purely cold and logical viewpoint, why would you want to waste all that money on new insect farms when you could just get rid of the old, crappy meat farms? It wouldn't cost more, and might even save money.

 

[Pickle Juice]

I'm not sure I could eat bugs if I were starving. Last time I went on a ten day fast I got ravenous and I wanted to cheat, and the only thing in the house to eat was a package of dried seaweed "salad". I've always hated seaweed, but I find when I am hungry enough, such as after a fast, foods I used to dislike taste really really good. Not so for the seaweed. I smelt it, and took a nibble, and could not make myself eat it. Didn't matter how hungry I was.

With bugs, there is the emotional aspect wrapped up in it as well. I have no doubt I would end up vomiting if I did manage to down some bugs, but my gorges rises and my stomach gets upset at the very thought. The thing is though, if you are in a place full of insects, there are plenty of other things you can eat, like tree leaves, the inner layer of tree bark, roots, or even fungi, if you know what to look for. I have no doubt that there are plenty of bugs that would make you as sick as eating a bad fungus. I'd rather learn to recognize all the wild edible plants in my area, and in the area of anyplace I plan to visit, should a disaster strike and I end up lost in the wilderness. I'd even eat seaweed if I were stranded on that famous desert island people always ask us about, before I would eat invertebrates.

 

[rainforests1]

I see an insect life as being equal to other animals so more creatures suffering would be a bad thing. Assuming there was less torture involved, that would be a very good thing. I'd have mixed emotions personally.

 

[Blobbenstein]

If they are going to farm insect, what are these insects going to eat?
It might take just as much resources to breed insects as cows.

 

[FortyTwo]

If they are going to farm insect, what are these insects going to eat?
It might take just as much resources to breed insects as cows.

Didn't even think about this aspect. It's an endless loop of providing resources and not being able to provide enough, then moving on to something else that's limited. It's like when people try to say that natural gas is the future of energy. We're going to run out of that, too...

 

[silva]

Have they addressed the fact that insect parts are a huge allergen cause of asthma?