Eco-friendly eating: How insects can help save the planet

Ruminants such as cows and sheep produce significant amounts of methane due to their digestive process (enteric fermentation), with livestock contributing approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the other hand, insects produce far fewer greenhouse gases; for instance, crickets emit up to 80 times less methane than cattle.

Livestock farming drives deforestation for grazing land and feed crops, leading to biodiversity loss and increased carbon emissions. Deforestation further reduces the planet’s ability to absorb CO₂, worsening global warming. Insect farming requires minimal land and can be conducted in vertically stacked containers, drastically reducing its land footprint. As agricultural land becomes scarcer, insect farming offers a viable alternative to meet rising food demand while mitigating climate change.

Water scarcity is a critical environmental issue, exacerbated by traditional livestock farming, which consumes large amounts of water and degrades its quality. In contrast, insect farming offers a more sustainable alternative, requiring significantly less water. Intensive livestock farming, particularly pig farms, negatively impacts surface water quality and aquatic ecosystems. 

Insects convert feed into edible mass far more efficiently than livestock, as they are cold-blooded and do not need to expend energy maintaining body heat. For example, crickets require only 1.7 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of meat, compared to 8 kg for cattle. Their high feed conversion efficiency enables them to transform low-value organic waste into high-quality feed. Finally, nearly the entire insect is edible. Unlike livestock, where significant portions, such as bones and fur, are discarded.