One of the great teachings of Timon and Pumbaa, characters from The Lion King, was certainly looking at the world of insects with different eyes. Maybe Simba also realized that, with the reduction of biodiversity, and with fewer and fewer animals in the savannas, eating insects could really be the future of lions.
I'm going to try to be a Wikipedia for the animal world. Insects are animals without a backbone (invertebrates, therefore), but they have an external armor made of chitin (called an exoskeleton), and this substance, chitin, is the same as our nails and hair.
Insects have their body segmented into three parts, but it is not head, torso and limbs, as we are. These animals are characterized by having the body divided into head, thorax and abdomen. Its diversity is immense, from flies to beetles, from scorpions to butterflies, passing through mosquitoes, cicadas and bees, among many others.
Did you know that figs, typical of the Algarve, have flowers inside the fruit? And that the flower-pollinating insect has to get inside the fig to lay its eggs, eventually dying? And that the new generation of insects, when they are born, are covered in pollen and go out to pollinate more figs? I hope I haven't spoiled your love for figs, but remember that the fig wasp is responsible for figs and no other insect can.
Human extinction may not be (already) in question, but our diet may have to undergo major changes in the future. Why? The increase in food prices, the scarcity of raw materials, the great ecological impact of agricultural and livestock holdings, production costs and the demand for food by-products, are all reasons for looking for more sustainable and healthy alternatives.
And how about a juicy and crunchy delicacy?
In 2019, and according to the United Nations, world food waste was around 17%, which translates into more than 931 thousand tons of food thrown away. There is, therefore, a growing concern to reduce these amounts of waste, betting on a bio-based circular economy (CBE), that is, trying to achieve the objective of climate neutrality, sustainability and with less waste or, ideally, zero waste.
Compared to conventional livestock farming, insect production has a much better utilization rate. Insects can decompose organic waste, occupy much less space, consume less water and require 62% less energy consumption, originating less than 95% of greenhouse gases.
The exploitation of insects can even generate ecological benefits, since, in their production process for consumption, insects can help in the recycling of residual organic matter and in its transformation into natural fertilizers.
We can use insect fat for biofuel and, of course, use it as a protein substitute, either for animal feed or, for example, for a simple energy bar before going to the gym.
Insect diversity and choice on the market is increasing. But can we go out into the field in groups to eat all kinds of insects that appear in front of us?
Well, we can, but due to the toxicity of some of them, the meal may be the last, especially if we are in some tropical countries, where these animals come up with potentially deadly protection strategies – for us, not for them!
Obviously, everything sold must be certified for consumption and the insects we find for sale have already been previously analyzed in terms of nutrition and toxicity. In Portugal, commercialization for human consumption is something very recent and the variety is still small. We are still in the refinement tasting phase: little variety, but good quality.
Given their nutritional composition, edible insects have bioactive compounds that are beneficial to our health: improvement of intestinal flora, antioxidant properties and may even improve some blood parameters.
Although this composition depends on the type of insect and its stage of development, many of them share a composition rich in amino acids, easily digestible proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, micronutrients and, to top it off, they are also very rich in fiber.
Regardless of the advantages presented, insects are still a taboo in some countries. However, there are cultures where feeding incorporating a diet with insects is something perfectly natural and others even where it constitutes the basis of subsistence of the populations.
We are talking about some African tribes where the giant locusts that decimate their crops are caught with large nets and then crushed, seasoned, resulting in wonderful hamburgers!
In some countries in Asia, it is common to sell insects on the street for human consumption, Street Food, very attractive for locals, as well as for more adventurous tourists.
The consumption of insects in Europe is more accepted in Austria, Belgium, Holland and France, due to their introduction in the food industry, particularly as a novelty. Among the most consumed insects, we highlight crickets, grasshoppers and mealworms.
As well as certainly whetting your appetite, or at least your curiosity, remember that it's always advisable to make sure what you're eating, be responsible, brush your teeth before going to bed... And don't worry about sleep with your mouth open because if an insect enters your goto... you might like it.
Author Henrique Santos (Biologist)
Lagos Living Science Center
This article was developed within the framework of the project PaNReD – Digital Heritage transformed into Digital Teaching Resources, funded by the CRESC Algarve 2020 Program, through Portugal 2020 and the European Social Fund (ESF).
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