Posted Oct 15, 2011
Much of the world eats insects, but they’re a hard sell in Europe and the United States. Now a Dutch warehouse store similar to Costco is trying to change our minds and palates.
One of the arguments against a meat-based diet is that the production of livestock like beef and pork causes almost one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one reason why some people espouse eating bugs. According to a story in the New York Times, Sligro, a chain of 25 membership-only warehouse stores in the Netherlands, is “part of a drive to convince the Dutch that crickets, worms and caterpillars are healthier sources of protein, and are less taxing on the environment, than steaks and pork chops.”
The article stresses “that insects are already a major source of protein elsewhere in the world. Caterpillars and locusts are popular in Africa, wasps are a delicacy in Japan, crickets are eaten in Thailand. Yet in Europe, as in the United States, most people, except some very young children, consider them, well, pretty disgusting.”
Dutch breeders of insects for pet food are hoping the bug drive will create a new market for them, and the Dutch government is helping with nearly $1.5 million for research.
Katherine Miller: kmiller@oregonian.com
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