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

餵飽這麼多人將會是個挑戰,並且氣候變化對農作物的影響會使這問題更加複雜

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

所以有些人主張一種不平常的方式來增加

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

食物供應並且維持人類需求 方法就是少吃肉 多吃昆蟲

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

大約20億人口已經開始食用昆蟲 墨西哥人很喜歡辣烤的蚱蜢 泰國人大吃

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

炒蟋蟀而迦納人把白蟻當點心, 昆蟲類緩慢的爬進西方世界的菜單

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

裡被當成新鮮菜色 但是大部分人還是維持著難以接受的態度 雖然有三個理由

why eating insects make sense.

說明為何吃昆蟲是有道理的

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

第一 他們比肉類健康,大約有2000種可食用昆蟲類

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

很多含有蛋白質 鈣質 纖維 鐵和 鋅 一小份的蟋蟀

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

會比同樣份量的牛肉包含相同或更多的蛋白質 並且只有一半

the fat and far fewer calories.

的脂肪以及遠遠更少的熱量

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

第二 養昆蟲很便宜 或是免費 只需要少量的科技或投資就能生產

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

採集昆蟲可提供生計給某些世界上

poorest people.

極貧窮的人

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

最後 昆蟲類是一種遠比牲口類容易維持取得的來源

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

牲畜產品類佔了約一半的溫室效應的氣體排放 比交通工具更多

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

相比之下 昆蟲類產生相對低的溫室效應氣體 飼養他們只需要

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

遠較少量的土地和水 並且昆蟲類幾乎甚麼都吃

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

儘管如此 多數西方人發現昆蟲類很難吞嚥 一種解決方是將從昆蟲中抽取的蛋白質

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

加入其他產品中 例如快餐和義大利麵醬

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

不正面盯著昆蟲看 並且強調對環境益處 或許能把吃昆蟲的想法

a bit more palatable.

變得容易入口一點