Despite this, the much lighter planetary cost of breeding and eating insects such as crickets, grasshoppers and ants is unlikely to be realised because people, particularly in western countries, remain repulsed at the idea of eating them.
Public polling in the US and Europe has found while as many as 91% of respondents would be willing to try plant-based 鈥渁lternative meats鈥, only about 20% would consider eating insects.
As well as a cultural 鈥測uck鈥 factor, there are also economic barriers, the paper found, with most companies 鈥 the exception being a few protein bar start-ups 鈥 deciding to focus on raising species such as black soldier flies for animal, rather than human, consumption.
鈥淕iven these challenges, it is difficult to see how insect-based foods could significantly replace traditional meat options,鈥 the paper, published in the nature journal npj Sustainable Agriculture, states.
While many people express a desire to eat food that is raised sustainably, relatively few in western countries have embraced vegetarianism and veganism.
Meanwhile, global meat consumption is expected to increase in the coming decades amid rising demand from a newly wealthy cohort in countries such as China, placing additional stresses upon the land, waterways and the climate.
鈥淲e have limited resources and we need to devote them to the most promising alternatives,鈥 said Dustin Crummett, the co-author of the study and executive director of the Insect Institute.
It turns out that farmed insects consistently score the lowest of any of the meat substitutes and the actual market for them is incredibly small, even in places that have a tradition of eating insects.
Mr Crummett said while some efforts had been made to put insects into items such as snack bars and bread, they are not being made into products that would actually dislodge meat consumption.
Few governments have made any significant moves to curb meat consumption, despite its enormous impact upon the environment, fearing political backlash.
Denmark, however, has provided a possible model of how to do this, unveiling a plan in 2023 to reduce meat-eating and bolster the supply of plant-based foods.
鈥淧lant-based foods are the future,鈥 Jacob Jensen, Denmark鈥檚 minister for food, agriculture and fisheries, said at the time.
鈥淚f we want to reduce the climate footprint within the agricultural sector, then we all have to eat more plant-based foods.鈥
Mr Crummett said the Danish plan was a good starting point to craft an alternative to simply hoping people will switch to insects.
The Guardian