éntomo — a future food perspective
Insects for dinner?
It is estimated that by 2050 there will be over 9 billion people living on this beautiful planet — that’s 2 billion more than today! When we consider the fact that natural resources are already limited and food prices increase almost daily, how are we going to feed all of these incoming habitants? Every day news headlines warn us about health risks associated with processed foods, obesity epidemics, drought, and local food shortages. Simply put, we need a more sustainable solution to help feed the world. éntomo is an online resource that educates Western society about the values and benefits of insects as a healthy, sustainable and exciting food source for the twenty-first century and beyond. (Yes, that’s right — insects!) An on-going design and research project, it is a new food perspective that highlights the need for a smarter way of living by encouraging people to explore insects as a tasty and nutritious alternative to traditional meats such as beef and pork. If Western society wants to sustain itself — environmentally and economically — then we must consider better, newer models of food production to successfully address these wicked, wicked problems of climate changes and depleting land resources.
Why choose insects?
In response to these urgent, global issues, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published a report titled “Edible insects — future prospects for food and feed security”, in 2013. As the title suggests, the report highlights numerous case studies that support insects as an alternative and sustainable food source for the future.
For thousands of years people have been eating insects, particularly in Asia, South America, and Africa. In Western cultures, however, it is considered taboo to dine on such ‘pests’. Insects are not only scientifically proven to provide high levels of protein, iron, and calcium, but unlike traditional livestock they release far fewer greenhouse gases, require less utilities for production such as electricity and water, and reproduce at a much faster rate. And let’s not forget to mention that they also taste delicious! So, why not choose insects?
What to expect from éntomo
As you may have guessed, there is a considerable challenge in educating (and convincing) society about the importance of introducing bugs to our daily diet. But sure enough there is a growing interest in edible insects with media sources including The Guardian and Huffington Post regularly reporting the benefits of this alternative food supply. All across the US and EU there are start-ups producing and selling cricket protein bars, snacks and more! (Just take a look at Mophagy — our partners who supply éntomo with cricket flour so we can make delicious and nutritious treats. Wonderful.). The goal behind éntomo is to inform, engage and help create a sustainable and novel twenty-first century lifestyle. This is the beginning of a food revolution and éntomo is excited to share and explore the #foodofthefuture with you.
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Curious? Why not jump right in and follow, share, or connect with us! Want to experiment with edible insects? Visit Mophagy marketplace and enter the promo code ‘entomoproject10’ to receive 10% off your order!
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éntomo was conceived, designed, and developed by Lara Hanlon at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin in 2013. Since 2013, éntomo has received the New Star Award at the Shenzhen Design Awards for Young Talents in China, in association with UNESCO Creative Network (2013/14); exhibited at NEED: The Power of Human Potential, Milan Design Week (2015); selected for the Global Irish Design Challenge (2016).
