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Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:01:02 -0500
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Regarding my comment on insects as potential future mass-produced "food for
the poor and starving of the world" (an idea that I got from a post by Ray
Audette), it would likely only be culturally acceptable in the nearer term
among peoples who already eat insects--yet this includes includes cultures
in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, so there is huge potential. 

Of course, no one anywhere has to eat insects if they don't want to unless
they are starving and have no choice, but insects are a healthier option
than the usual bags of grain dropped from helicopters down to starving
masses. Insects are the most plentiful Paleo food on the planet and they
appear to be the only hope for feeding significantly more than 10% of the
world's population on Paleo foods (since that is about the maximum estimate
of the potential carrying capacity of meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables,
nuts and seeds).

The ironic thing about foods that many Americans disdain as gross or not
being food at all (such as insects, larvae, worms, marrow, tongue, brain,
kidney, liver, stomach, intestines, frog legs, snails/escargot, etc.) is
that they tend to be much healthier than the stuff they think of as
delicious food (bread, pizza, pasta, bagels, donuts, cakes, cookies,
crackers, cheese, pretzels, ice cream, and even yams). The average American
would assume that bread and cheese is healthier than insects, little
realizing that his/her ancient ancestors ate insects, or that the common
ancestor of all primates (including humans) was an insectivore, and that
insects are actually superior in nutrition to these modern staples. Humans
have been eating insects for millions of years, whereas bread and cheese
have been around less than 10,000 years. 

-------

From: For Most People, Eating Bugs Is Only Natural
By Sharon Guynup and Nicolas Ruggia
National Geographic Channel
July 15, 2004
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0715_040715_tvinsectfood.htm
l

> If you think eating insects is gross, you may be in the cultural 
> minority. Throughout history, people have relished insects as food. Today,
many cultures still do.
> Ten thousand years ago hunters and gatherers ate bugs to survive.
> Scientists estimate that between 50 and 80 percent of the world's
population eat insects as a regular part of their diet.
> The Old Testament encouraged Christians and Jews to consume locusts,
beetles, and grasshoppers. St. John the Baptist is said to have survived on
locusts and honey when he lived in the desert. 
> Many types of insects appear on menus today. Bugs remain a traditional
food in many cultures across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, DeFoliart
said. 
> In China beekeepers are considered virile, because they regularly eat
larvae from their beehives. 

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