that many people will be a challenge, and it is further complicated by the impact of

climate change on agriculture. That is why some people advocate an unusual way to boost

the food supply and feed people sustainably: by eating less meat, and more insects.

About 2 billion people already eat bugs. Mexicans enjoy chili-toast grasshoppers. Thais tucking

to cricket stir-fries and Ghanians snack on termites. Insects are slowly creeping onto

Western menus as novelty items, but most people remain squeamish. Yet there are three reasons

why eating insects make sense.

First, they are healthier than meat. There are nearly 2,000 kinds of edible insects,

many of them packed with protein, calcium, fibre, iron and zinc. A small serving of crickets

can contain the same or more protein as similarly sized serving of beef, but have half

the fat and far fewer calories.

Second, raising insects is cheap, or free. Little technology or investment is needed

to produce them. Harvesting insects could provide livelihoods to some of the world’s

poorest people.

Finally, insects are a far more sustainable source of food than livestock. Livestock production

accounts for nearly a fifth of all greenhouse-gas emissions – that’s more than transport.

By contrast, insects produce relatively fewer greenhouse gases, and raising them requires

much less land and water. And they'll eat almost anything.

Despite all this, most Westerners find insects hard to swallow. One solution is to use protein

extracted from bugs in other products, such as ready meals and pasta sauces. Not having

to look at the bugs, and emphasis on the environmental benefits, might make the idea of eating insects

a bit more palatable.