High Consumption of Bugs May Have Positive Impacts on the Environment

(Photo : SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

How Insect Consumption Can Help the Environment 

According to research, bugs could give off a reasonable amount of protein, iron, vitamin b12, and other nutrients that could be highly beneficial to humans.

These insects could give a massive amount of protein even more than the regular beef, so keeping bugs like mealworms will not only be less space-consuming, you can also gain a good kilogram of edible protein.

Apart from the nutrients from these bugs, they can also be of great importance to the agricultural sector, according to Science Daily.

Scientists suggest that feeding these bugs with an adequate diet that incorporates them could positively affect the growth of crops. 

Using the waste products created from the production of insects for human food and animal feed, the authors discuss the possible importance of this waste on growing sustainable crops.

Authors of the paper stated: "A novel organic soil amendment is emerging from the production of a new source of animal proteins, that is, the production of insects such as yellow mealworm, lesser mealworm, house cricket, black soldier fly, or housefly for food and feed," according to Science Alert. 

From these recent findings, there is a very high possibility of using bugs as food for humans, also serving as nutrient to plants.

Also Read: Beatles, Butterflies Population Thriving While Some Insects Decline in Numbers

Byproducts from Insects Can Replace Conventional Fertilizers

According to the author, the byproduct from these insects has a high nutritional value that could improve crop growth and promote the plant's health.

These byproducts are obtained from two sources, the exoskeletal remains of the bugs after molting, called Exuviae, and the insect waste product or poop known as the frass.

These two products combined could become possible alternatives to conventional fertilizers and pesticides.

From research, frass is said to be rich in nitrogen which is essential for plant growth, and once added to the soil, could serve as a form of synthetic fertilizer. 

Researchers Encourage the Consumption of Insects

Additionally, these byproducts unlike other products that attract mutualist insects, such as pollinators and even natural enemies of antagonistic insects that are threat to the plant.

The byproduct feed could serve as pest control to these plants thereby promoting the plant health.

The big step is getting people to consume more of these insects.

Although they are highly consumed in dozens of African countries and some other parts of the world, the message of their health benefit and collossal importance are still yet to be conveyed.

Scientists revealed that bugs are highly nutritional and its consumption could be of great importance to the environment.

Related Article: Insect as Food: A Hardcore Way to Feed Sustainably

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