Increasing Consumption Of Animal Proteins

The United Nations has projected that by 2050 the world population will reach approximately 9 billion (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2009, para. 2). As population increases, so does the demand for food resources. Since only a small percentage of the world population is vegetarians, animal proteins remain an important source for fulfilling basic nutritional needs. In addition to increasing population growth, Van Huis (2012) states that the recent economic bubble in developing countries in Asia may trigger an increasing consumption of meat (p. 564). However, the current level of livestock production will not sustain the future demands for animal protein due to the limited availability of agricultural lands and the unsustainable agricultural …show more content…
Muller and Krawinkel (2013) state, “Iron and zinc deficiencies are widespread in developing countries, especially in children and women of reproductive age: Approximately 2 billion people are deficient in zinc and 1 billion have iron-deficiency anemia” (cited in Van Huis, p. 571). As a result, consuming insects may appropriately address this issue because insects contain these micronutrients, iron and zinc. Additionally, Gordon states that consuming silkworm caterpillars satisfies an individual’s daily need of not only zinc and iron, but also other micronutrients such as copper, thiamin, and riboflavin (cited in Gahukar, 2011, p. 131). Thus, consuming the highly nutritious insects can provide health benefits by preventing people from suffering micronutrient deficiency …show more content…
Dossey (2013) states that almost one third of the lands on Earth are used for raising livestock (para. 1). In order to feed 9 billion population by 2050, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2009) predicts that the current level of agricultural output needs to be increased by 70 percent (para. 6). Even though the number used in the FAO’s report represents the whole food production, the prospect of expanding agricultural lands for raising livestock is included in the data. Since insects generally thrive in tight places, less land is required for insects rearing. Having studied the relationships between land use and yield products from animal, Oonincx and de Boer (2012) conclude that mealworms use only 18 m2 to yield one kilogram of animal protein, whereas milk needs at least 33 m2, chicken needs at least 41 m2, pork needs at least 46 m2, and beef needs at least 142 m2 for a kilogram of animal product (p. 3). Since land availability is limited, insects rearing can hopefully decelerate the agricultural expansion for livestock