“USDA Funds Research into Trash-Fed Crickets: A Sustainable Protein Solution?”

In July 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) started supporting research on using trash to feed trash-fed crickets for protein, aiming to find a cheaper and more sustainable way to produce food. They granted $130,000 to Mighty Cricket Inc., a company that sells cricket-based products like flour and protein powder. The USDA believes that feeding trash-fed crickets with landfill waste could cut costs and benefit consumers by offering more affordable products.

“USDA Funds Research into Trash-Fed Crickets: A Sustainable Protein Solution?”

A Sustainable Solution to Global Food Needs, Backed by Mighty Cricket and International Support

The grant highlights the drawbacks of traditional farming, which it sees as resource-intensive and harmful to the environment, particularly in terms of water, land, and feed use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. This move towards insect farming is driven by the growing awareness of the need for sustainable food sources due to the increasing global population.

Mighty Cricket emphasizes the eco-friendly aspects of cricket cultivation, pointing out benefits such as reduced land use, waste, carbon emissions, water consumption, and energy use. The United Nations and the World Economic Forum have also voiced support for incorporating insects into the diet as a means to combat climate change and address the demand for protein in a growing world population.

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USDA Invests in Sustainable Protein Source Amid Growing Interest in Insect-Based Foods

Insect-based foods are slowly gaining popularity in the West, with companies in Europe offering products like cricket chips, bug burgers, and beetle beer. Despite the potential benefits, both the USDA and Mighty Cricket declined to comment on the matter when approached by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

In conclusion, the USDA’s support of studies on trash-fed crickets is a positive step toward a more economical and sustainable source of protein. Concerns regarding the environmental effects of conventional farming methods have led to the promotion of insect farming as a workable alternative that is supported by powerful institutions. Even though they are still rather unusual in the West, trash-fed crickets and other insect-based cuisines are becoming more and more popular.

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