Monday, April 9, 2012

Eating Insects May Not Be A Choice

I'm from a small Southern town where people generally live all their lives and for the most part "could be" self-sustaining if they had to.  Sometimes it's hard to imagine going to the grocery store and not being able to buy a package of meat or as some I can think of would likely say something like "I'd hunt and fish if it came down to it."  Fine and good but likely in reality if it came down to it, there would be alot of other people hunting and fishing for necessity and soon, what game and fish there are would be gone or so scarce it would take more resources and energy to find any than would be gained from a small and short term successful outing.

Small town folk sometimes have a hard time seeing and realizing just how big the world is and how many people there are.  Honestly it is for me while sitting here writing this.  I've been reading alot lately on projections of populations versus food supplies and it's not a very pretty picture.  The climate is not helping much either by helping us with crops and we have so polluted the lakes and oceans as well as overfished...well it just doesn't look good at all.  If it's not a flood it's a drought or late freeze.  The world is changing and we have to adjust or starve.

I see England is saying for their population to get ready to be eating insects full scale by 2020.  Folks, that's only eight years away and if the video I saw today of one irate English lady is any indication of the populace overall acceptance, they have a long way to go in winning people over to the thought of eating bugs!

Just in the last few months of my entering into the practice of Entomophagy I have witnessed many newcomers just like myself.  They are all saying basically the same things and have pretty much the same convictions.  We see insects as they are, sustainable nutrition that turns out to actually taste delicious when prepared properly and not too bad when just cooked plain! 

I like to keep things real.  Gathering as much information as possible about something when an interest takes up residence in my head is not always a pleasant learning experience.  Learning, I mean really learning of the actual state of the world protein supply is not something I counted on.  One kind of hears through various media about this or that food shortage but again, in a small town where there is ample land for gardening, open spaces, ponds and lakes with fish and woods with deer, turkey and other wildlife, not to mention driving by pastures full of cattle, one might not really get a grasp on the gravity of the situation.

We are running out of food.  "We" being the entire human race. We have to do something.

When one looks at insects as food and then figures in some of the factors which are only adding to our current state of being, we only will see that mass production of insects is the answer.  It takes much less space and resources versus conventional livestock to gain equal amounts of nutrition with much less environmental impact.

Here's the scenario I see it coming down to.  Meat from mammals is going to become a luxury and a thing one will need to be situated in the wealthy class to enjoy on a regular basis.  It already is for many.  Everyone else, well, we are going to either have to get used to alternative protein sources, do without, become a cattle rustler or win a lottery!  I'm glad I already have gotten over the fear and found out I like insects as much as if not more than the finest meat I ever have eaten. I'm glad I know where my family needs can and will come from.

I would not lie to anyone for the sake of selling a single bug.  Hey, I've given away enough info here for practically anyone in the world reading could find or rear their own supply of Gourmet Bugs.  If it actually comes down to it I'm probably going to be rearing them to support and supply my family with food before even considering selling any and I have a very large family with my better half' side figured in haha!

Insects are delicious, no kidding.  You might want to try to get over it and get ready now and be used to the idea. It might not be a choice for much longer. You may be like me and find yourself choosing insects over whatever else if given a choice. Right now I could just as easily have a bucket of beetles and grasshoppers as any other kind of meat. :)

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