The thought of eating beetles, caterpillars and ants might give you the creeps but the authors of a UN report published yesterday said the health benefits of consuming nutritious insects would help fight obesity.
More than 1900 species of insect are eaten around the world, mainly in Africa and Asia, but people in the West generally turn their nose up at the likes of grasshoppers, termites and similar crunchy fare.
The authors of the study, which was commissioned by the forestry department of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, said many insects contain the same amount of protein and minerals as traditionally consumed meats and more of the healthy fats doctors recommend for a balanced diet.
As well as helping in the costly battle against obesity, which the World Health Organisation estimates affects about 500million people - nearly double the 1980 number - insect farming was said to be likely to be less land-exploitive than traditional livestock husbandry and would produce less greenhouse gases.
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