Research Into Trash-Fed Crickets for Human Consumption Funded by US Taxpayers

Research into cricket feed made from waste materials is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Federal funding totaling $130,000 have been provided to the organization to promote re

Research into cricket feed made from waste materials is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Federal funding totaling $130,000 have been provided to the organization to promote research into the cultivation of crickets fed municipal landfill garbage as a potential source of protein for human use.

According to a Daily Caller article, Mighty Cricket Inc., a firm that specializes in food items made from crickets, is the recipient of the USDA award.

According to a Daily Caller article, Mighty Cricket Inc., a firm that specializes in food items made from crickets, is the recipient of the USDA award.WAV

The US Spending website states:

The study that is being suggested in this application aims to address the need for more economical methods of producing crickets as a sustainable source of protein. Cricket protein retails for more than twice as much as regular proteins. Even after accounting for water weight—crickets are often marketed as powdered or dry-roasted—this remains the case. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_20237003139142_12H3

Economies of scale and a dearth of innovation are the two main causes of cost increases. In contrast to the beef, hog, poultry, and soy sectors, the rearing of crickets has seen very little innovation. Thailand is the primary location for the majority of world production, with physical labor being used instead of automation to generate most commodities. The next two largest expenses in cricket farming are feed and power, behind labor.

While insulation and solar energy can assist reduce electrical expenses, the goal of this study proposal is to reduce feed prices. Innovations that lower cricket production costs make crickets more accessible to consumers, which boosts economies of scale.

The necessity to recover food waste in the US and keep some of it out of landfills is another topic covered in this study proposal. Food waste is an important issue.

Food waste in the US is thought to account for 30–40% of the country's food supply, according to the USDA. Based on USDA Economic Research Service estimates of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer sectors, this estimate amounts to around $161 billion and 133 billion pounds of food in 2010.

Food waste makes up the majority of garbage in municipal landfills, with an average percentage of 22%. With all of this food waste, Mighty Cricket has a fantastic chance to buy cricket feed at a discount compared to what is sold in stores. Customers that purchase cricket protein from Mighty Cricket will subsequently be able to benefit from the cost reductions. These include companies who make pet food, medications, and bioplastics, as well as customers who buy Mighty Cricket items from physical stores.

Global demand for alternative proteins has increased dramatically in the past ten years. Through 2032, it is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%, reaching $497.6 billion USD.

Public awareness of the need for more sustainable food sources is what is driving the growth in demand. The ecology is severely strained by conventional protein production, which uses unsustainable amounts of feed, water, and land as inputs. Additionally, animal-based proteins account for an estimated 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, making them a substantial source of emissions as well.

Only 3.4 billion people can be sustainably fed by the food system we have now. Food production methods must drastically move toward resource conservation in order to support the world's expanding population, and consumers are demanding this transition.

One potential answer to the problem of food production is cricket farming, which uses a smaller amount of consumable inputs than traditional protein sources. For this reason, edible insects are accepted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a competitive substitute for ensuring food and feed security.

Mighty Cricket will gather information on the performance of waste-derived cricket feed in comparison to commercially available feed. The following goals will be used to gauge the project's success: cricket growth, mortality rates, and feed cost reductions. The company's ultimate goal is to reduce the environmental impact of the US food system and manufacturing costs.

Critics contend that this method may be overly innovative, ignoring the ecological and health risks related to raising insects on garbage from landfills.

Opponents contend that this endeavor might unintentionally introduce poisons into the food chain or worsen waste management problems in the absence of strict rules and extensive study into the safety and environmental ramifications.

The EU's new initiative to include mealworms into meals in an effort to cut down on meat consumption was advocated by the World Economic Forum last year.

The argument put out by globalists is that since bugs "consume fewer resources than traditional livestock," peasants should eat weeds, bugs, and synthetic "meat."