Friday, March 29, 2024

Want to feed the world? Just grab some grub

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Lobsters are not pretty. 
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Dip these unsightly creatures into warm butter and they instantly become a different matter to most of us. 

Why, then, do we gag at the thought of eating insects?

One New Zealand researcher hopes to change that.

Auckland University of Technology senior lecturer and registered dietitian Dr Caryn Zinn is exploring how insects and other alternative proteins might be used or added to a range of specialty foods.

So, why turn to bugs when you could have, say, a tasty steak? 

Quite simply because conventional livestock alone will not be able to sustainably meet the global demand for meat so alternatives are needed to complement traditional protein sources, Zinn believes.

“The nutritional profile of these little critters is amazing,” Zinn told a hundred guests at a Blinc Innovation sustainable protein event at Tai Tapu near Christchurch.

And the evidence is on her side.

Nutritional studies have shown insects to be a good source of protein though fat and vitamin content vary across species.

Wairarapa cricket farm Rebel Bakehouse is the first of its kind in New Zealand to produce 100% locally sourced cricket flour.

Otago Locusts founder Malcolm Diack bought 1000 locusts on Trade Me in 2009. He’s since bred them to a whopping 20,000 in two shipping containers on his suburban property in Dunedin City.

He sells the locusts to restaurants, zoos and consumers around NZ. He sells up to 1000 locusts a week to restaurants.

Diack is also growing wheatgrass on his property to absorb/offset the carbon emitted by the insects.

Entomophagy, the scientific word for eating insects, is common in at least 113 countries, according to a recent British Nutrition Foundation study. And with more than 2000 edible species insects have won the approval of the United Nations, which recommends them as a potential solution to the global food shortage. 

Add to that they’re environmentally friendly and can be produced with just a fraction of the gas emissions that go into livestock production. 

But getting rid of cows and shifting to an exclusively plant-based or insect-based diet isn’t the answer, Zinn said.

“Animal protein should stay on the plate. Vegetables should be there too, of course. What we need to do is diversify how we get our nutrients.”

There is a simple reason for that. 

“When you compare plant-based protein with animal-based protein, animal-based protein wins hands down,” Zinn said. 

“It has nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A and omega-3 fats that you just don’t get in substantial quantities from plant-based foods. In fact, you don’t get vitamin B12 in any quantity from plants.”

Hidden hunger affects more than two billion people, globally. The cause is a chronic lack of essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. And the rapidly growing movement of veganism is adding to that malnutrition.

“People change from animal protein to plants and they don’t realise the nutritional consequences.

 “A plant-based diet is nutritionally inferior and I think if we were to move this way we would not only see an increase in chronic disease but also micronutrient deficiencies.”

So, could lab-grown meat be part of the solution? 

Zinn has mixed feelings.

“You could actually say that lab-grown meat is processed food, if you like.

“A move toward decreasing the amount of processed food is where I would like to see things go.”

It is a timely statement because in a surprise move Fonterra has invested in Motif Ingredients, a Boston biotech start-up that plans to use genetic engineering and cultured ingredients to create lab-grown alternatives to egg, milk and meat proteins. 

But the co-op is walking a careful line – assuring farmers cows’ milk remains its priority and insisting it is not clear cattle-free protein will be more environmentally friendly.

Zinn said any effort to reduce food waste should be a higher priority for the sector. 

“A third of our food production for human consumption is wasted. 

“And I don’t see it having a voice in the conversation around feeding the growing population. So, while we’re doing a lot to reduce carbon emissions, especially here in NZ, I don’t think a move away from eating meat is the answer.  

“It’s about what happens when meat is purchased. 

“I think if there was less going into tragic, processed foods and more going onto the consumers’ plate that would be ideal.”

Certainly, the stresses on the food system are snowballing as the world looks to feed close to 10 billion people by 2050. And questions are being raised over how NZ will produce enough food while achieving its national sustainability goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, who has an interest in sustainability and innovation, attended the event and said she is optimistic about NZ’s ability to overcome the hurdles. 

“We have always thought of ourselves as an ingenious nation.

“The issue of feeding an increasingly overpopulated and overheated planet offers many challenges but also opens up opportunities.”

NZ is ideally placed to show leadership in sustainable protein, Reddy said.

“If we are going to be realistic about achieving our carbon footprint and our global warming challenge then we are going to have to look at new ways of production and new ways of using our land and our resources.

“You listen to some of the farmers today and they’re looking at doing things differently. We can’t do things the way we’ve always done them, everything changes.

“We’re very adaptable, we’re very versatile, we just need to accept those changes and realise that protecting the land and our waterways for future generations is fundamental to what we do,” Reddy said. 

Regenerative farming enthusiasts have been making that point but it seems to get lost in the Silicon Valley hype around alternative proteins.

“From what I hear there is an immense amount of good things going on so I can certainly see how we could move forward together,” Zinn said. 

“Too often meat has been pushed into a little corner. 

“I think farmers need to be more vocal about the good things they are doing to help save the planet.”

Zinn believes a global reappraisal of what can constitute healthy, nutritional and safe food for all is needed.

An overpopulated world is going to struggle to find enough protein unless people are willing to open their minds and mouths to a much broader notion of food, Zinn said. 

It brings a whole new meaning to grabbing some grub for lunch. Perhaps, a commercial sausage made from maggots?

Extra onions, please – and pass the tomato sauce.

Listen to Farmers Weekly journalist Luke Chivers speak to NZ Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and AUT senior lecturer Dr Caryn Zinn.

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