Across much of the research and studies on agriculture and food security, the common understanding seems to be that there must be a drastic increase in food production and a decrease in the negative environmental impacts of such production, all within the next thirty years. The United Nations predicts that the planet’s human population will grow to nine and a half billion by the year 2050, and subsequently, will require current food production rates to double. How can we accomplish this task without bringing on more environmental damage? It is true that small-scale farming releases much lower levels of CO₂ into the atmosphere than their larger counterparts. But smaller farms are also much less efficient and generate little profit. Ideally, the key to efficient agriculture is a hybrid of the two. So, while small-scale farming might be better for the environment, not only would we need far more farms than are currently operating (as well as more farmland), but their production rates will not be enough to support the growing human population. Perhaps a solution to this issue would be a change in what we farm.
Meat production through animal agriculture is a major polluter of air, lakes, and rivers. For example, the methane gas cows release as flatulence contributes thirty-four times more to the greenhouse effect than CO₂ emissions. Evidently, a diet heavy in meat and dairy products has much too great an environmental impact to continue the way it is. Plant-based diets and lifestyles have been proven to drastically lower emissions from food production. Though plant agriculture still has many drawbacks - like runoff of fertilization chemicals into nearby bodies of water - a primary focus on its production (as opposed to it mainly being used for feed for animal agriculture) is a step in the right direction for more efficient and sustainable farming practices.
However, despite being relatively popular in North America, plant-based diets tend to be more expensive than meat and dairy products. It can also be difficult for those following a plant-based diet to meet all of their nutritional needs. One solution to all of our energy efficiency, nutrition, and environmental impact issues would be to introduce insects into our diets as our primary meat source. This may elicit some automatic responses of disgust or thoughts of how strange this idea is, but in reality, it is perfectly “normal”. The Western world is part of the minority when it comes to not eating insects. They are a regular part of the diets of many people in eighty percent of the world). Insect farming is also ten times greener than animal agriculture of the same scale in emissions and contains more energy (and nutrients) per gram than other meat.
Would you try it?
Jordanya Edwards is a civilian volunteer at an army cadet corps and a pre-med student studying at the University of Alberta.
Aryan Timilsina is a pre-med and computing science student studying at the University of Alberta.
Peter Anto Johnson and John Christy Johnson are both medical students at the University of Alberta.
Austin Mardon is an associate adjunct professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.