Should we eat more bugs?

If you said "GROSS!" after seeing the title of this module, you're not alone! In many countries and cultures, bugs are pests - not food. But in others, bugs on your plate are a delicacy and a good, readily available source of nutrition.
With more than 200 million bugs for every human on Earth, insects could be a sustainable way to feed the planet. Should we consider bugs as food, or is it time to shoo the idea?

investigate

Additional resources to think about

Why You Should Eat Bugs
Craig, host of The Good Stuff, tastes some dishes made with insects and learns about the benefits of eating bugs, one of the most plentiful sources of protein on the planet.

To feed the world, why not eat bugs?
This short info-video outlines statistics, facts, clips from popular food shows, and the pros and cons of raising insects as food.

Should we eat bugs? | TED Ed
Emma Bryce makes a case for entomophagy, or eating bugs as a sustainable, healthy way of feeding the world.

Trying a Thanksgiving Feast Made from Bugs
Joe Hanson heads to a “big bug banquet” that showcases the variety of ways that chefs and cooks can incorporate insects into fine cuisine. Hanson even heads into the kitchen with bug chef and entrepreneur Aly Moore to cook up some insects.

Andrew Zimmern Cooks: Wok Tossed Crickets in Black Bean Sauce
Watch the Bizarre Foods host make a stir fry using crickets and talk about Americans' hesitation to add bugs to the menu.

Why Aren't We Eating More Insects?
This article from The New York Times Style Magazine covers the innovation behind "camouflaged" insect food products and more.

contemplate

Who created this message?

What kind of “text” is it?
How similar or different is it to others of the same genre?
What are the various elements (building blocks) that make up the whole?

What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

What do you notice (about the way the message is constructed)?
What’s the emotional appeal?
What makes it seem “real?”
What's the emotional appeal? Persuasive devices used?

How might different people understand this message differently from me?

How many other interpretations could there be?
How could we hear about them?
How can you explain the different responses?

What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?

What type of person is the reader/watcher/listener invited to identify with?
What ideas or perspectives are left out?
How would you find what’s missing?
What judgments or statements are made about how we treat other people?

Why is this message being sent?

What's being sold in this message? What's being told?
Who is served by or benefits from the message
– the public?
– private interests?
– individuals?
– institutions?

5 Key Questions of Media Literacy used with permission from the Center for Media Literacy.
Copyright 2002-2021, Center for Media Literacy, www.medialit.com

debate