Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Anne Muir.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Click here to follow along with this program on YouTube.
Voice 1
A woman in the United States is making a meal. She chooses a recipe from a recipe book. She will follow this recipe, adding each different food at the right time to make a good-tasting meal. The recipe begins with common foods. First, she adds some juice from a sour lemon. Then she puts in some olive oil and a small amount of sweet honey. She adds some salt and pepper spice. Finally, she is ready to add the protein, or meat, into the meal. Does the recipe use chicken? Fish? Pork? No, the final ingredient in this recipe is katydids – a kind of insect!
Voice 2
For many people in the United States insects would be a very surprising ingredient. There, eating insects is not common. But this recipe book is trying to change the way people in the United States and other western countries think about eating insects. This book contains recipes for people to make food from insects. It is called the “Eat-A-Bug Cookbook.”
Voice 1
The writer of this book is David George Gordon. In his book, he tells about the reasons that people should eat more insects. Eating insects is good for the environment, public health, and also the economy. Today’s Spotlight is on eating insects.
Voice 2
Experts estimate that by 2050 there will be 9 billion people in the world. Almost a billion people already suffer from hunger every day. Our earth has a limited amount of resources like land and water. If we do not have enough food for the people on our earth now, how will we have enough for another 2 billion people in 2050?
Voice 1
These are the questions that experts around the world are struggling with. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released a report in 2013. It explained:
Voice 3
“The problem will be worse in the future. We need to think about what we eat and how we produce it. We need to find new ways of growing food.”
Voice 2
The report suggested that raising and eating insects was one way people could solve this problem. There are over 1,900 different kinds of insects that people can eat. The most common are beetles and caterpillars.
Voice 1
Many people around the world already eat insects. In fact, insects are part of the traditional diet of over 2 billion people. For example, in China, some people cook insects over a fire. They put the insects on a stick. The cooked insects are served on the street as street food. They are also served in restaurants, where food costs a lot of money. In the country of Ghana, people collect the termite insect in the spring time. They grind the termites into a kind of powder similar to grain. They use the ground termites to make bread.
Voice 2
Insects are a part of traditional diets because they are a very healthy food. They contain almost as much protein as a serving of meat from a pig or cow. Protein is a substance all people need to eat to stay healthy. Insects are high in vitamins and minerals. And insects are also low in fat and cholesterol – substances that are necessary for the body, but only in small amounts.
Voice 1
Eating insects is also very good for the environment. Insects need fewer resources like land and water than larger animals. 90% of the fresh water people use goes to farming and raising animals.
Voice 2
Marcel Dicke studies insects. In a TED talk, he explained how insects also produce more meat from the food they eat. For example, imagine a farmer. Imagine the farmer feeds a cow 10 pounds of food. Those 10 pounds of food produce about 1 pound of cow meat for people to eat. However, imagine the farmer gives cricket insects 10 pounds of food. Those 10 pounds of food produce 9 pounds of cricket meat for people to eat!
Voice 1
Eating more insects can also help people in poorer communities. Many people can raise and sell insects. Raising and selling insects can provide a job and food.
Voice 2
But insects will not replace livestock meat very quickly. First, people in some countries would have to change how they think about eating insects. Many people in North America and Europe eat a lot of livestock meat like cow and pigs. But they do not traditionally eat insects. They do eat some products of insects, like sweet honey from bees. But it is not normal to eat a whole insect in any form. In fact, for many people in the west, eating insects sounds insane! They believe insects are dirty and dangerous. Insects make people feel uncomfortable.
Voice 1
Some people are trying to solve this problem. For example, we talked about David George Gordon’s recipe book at the beginning of this program. His recipe book tries to show people that eating insects can be delicious and easy. Other insect experts travel and tell people about the great effects of eating insects. But they still have a lot of work to do.
Voice 2
Another challenge is creating rules and laws for insect producers to follow. There should be rules about how to raise insects safely to eat as food. People also need to decide how to eat insects. Will they be whole? Will they be ground into powder like a grain? Or, will food scientists discover a way to take all of the great food substances from insects and serve them in a very different form? These are all questions that people will have to ask and answer in the near future.
Voice 1
But there are people who want to answer those questions now. José Andrés is a master chef in the United States. He has won important awards for his cooking. He serves insects in his restaurant. He believes that finding new forms of food is important for the future. He told the New Yorker Magazine:
Voice 4
“We need to feed people in a sustainable way. In the future, the people who know how to produce protein will have an advantage over everyone else.”
Voice 2
Will insects become the world’s main source of protein in the future? Do you eat insects? If you do, what insects are your favourite, and how do you prepare them? If you do not eat insects, would you start? Let us know what you think. Leave your comments on the script page of this program. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Spotlight Radio.
Voice 1
The writer of this program was Liz Waid. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from Scotland, the United States and England. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘Eat Insects; Save the World’.
Voice 2
We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
Question:
Do you like to eat insects? If so, what are your favorite kinds? If you do not eat insects, would you start?
I hope I can eat them in future
Hhhhhhh, I don’t know about you guys but, I don’t think that it is a good idea to start eating insects! Tho I feel that they doesn’t have a taste.
I don’t know about you guys but, I don’t think that it is a good idea to start eating insects! Tho I feel that they doesn’t have a taste.
I never have an experience to eat any insects but, I think it’s very bad for western people like me. I hope everyone in the Earth will be able to eat ordinary meal, only not insects ..!
Ithink that is not weird in old days in school my friend eating the insect like ants i hope can be eating the insect in future
Well.. I’ve never eaten insect in any form but I have to confess that I am not closed to this idea Who knows may be someday
Wow … Spotligh English pushing through the bug eating agenda … not cool. I prefer protein from meat or vegetables.
Eating insects is very popular in my country, Vietnam, but almost for a drink not a normal food.
I am also from Viet Nam, I do not think that eating insects is that popular in our country. Never saw any one around me doing it.
Yes we eat insects the most profitable one is torgodarma granerum
Where are you from bro?!
I can’t eat Insects, because I think there is many Resource from food , like livestock, chicken etc…
Nice
As I listened I feel uncomfortable to eat insects in any way I hate that, but I know new information about that topic Eat insects, save the world. It is amazing information.
When I was a kid, I think around 10-12 years old. I have to eat insects because the town where I lived did not have a lot of food. We burn them on the fire, they are very delicious and very good taste.
I have never eaten yet. But in the future may be of course.
In fact, I like to try everything is strange and abnormal but eating insects dont think about it yet
I never expected to eat insects in my entire life! But I can try if it’s necessary to survive.
It was interesting ! I respect people who eat it ..
not at all , my be i will eat it but i will not love eat
It’s very bad for me and sick
Ido not eat insects and l do not think l will
I don’t eat insects and l don’t think l will
After reading this article i decided to try the insect :). People in my country don’t eat insect. Even people are disgusted
I can’t Accept how people can eat insects
No
No I do’t eat insects , but i think we can use the printer to print food instead
I have never thought that one day I will eat any kind of insects, and I am sure that I will not change my mind
Come on! Eating insects?
I think that they are dirty , dangerous, and bad for humans health .
I love deference food but in my religion “Islam” many foods are ill-gotten, like some of the kind insects or animals like pork, Bottom line, I don’t eat insects unless I have to in cases of famine.
I do not believe that food sources are limited, as the land has not been exploited yet
Even if I starve, I can eat dead meat, but I don’t eat insects
The insect is very important to the people
I like them
I’m from Saudi Arabi ate locust only this is good insects
Noo I don’t Iike eat Insects.
I have never eaten insects…why l eat insects if the sources of protein are available in my country..????l think that is dirty and have bad tasty.
I think eating insects is not useful for our Badies because it contain over Germs
Some insect eat plant that it’s not good for our bodies so this what make me hate insects
I can’t eat anything of insect
it is only a cultural problem but in the end it is acceptable to eat them if they are good
I don’t like eating insects, I find them very scary so I don’t dare eat them and will never eat them
I do not eat any kind of insects, and I will never do that , I wouldn’t start because they are dirty.
En Ecuador, en la Amazonía, se comen hormigas llamadas ucuis, las hormigas de limón y el catzo blanco. Además se comen gusanos como el de oruga y el chontacuro. Yo los he probado a todos y son muy ricos. En China también prové dos tipos de insectos y me gustaron mucho. Sí puedo cambiar de dieta.
For me I cannot insects make me feel uncomfortable, I don’t see myself in the future do it
I doesn’t like insects, much less eat them. It’s a terrible food to me. My friend is Victor, he likes to eat insects. He says “the coconut weevil is the best one”. He try to persude his colleage to eat them together but no one dare. There were many of coconut weevil at the south Viet Nam, they lived in coconut trees.
I doesn’t like insects, much less eat them. It’s a terrible food to me. My friend is Victor, he likes to eat insects. He says “the coconut weevil is the best one”. He try to persude his colleage to eat them together but no one dare. There were many of coconut weevil at the south Viet Nam, they lived in coconut trees.
I do not like eating insects but if I ate ones I would eat grasshopper.
In Islam, you can eat only the locusts.
They halal.
But it is not common in Islam countries.
There are some vendors sell locusts for example in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
for me I will not eat any insects including locusts.
Actually I don’t eat any kinds of insects you know it sounds disgusting for me
Sorry I don’t like to eat insects and I prefer to eat plants instead of insects ️
No I’m won’t to start eating them noooo.
very good
I don’t have any problem if they’re good for my health ,I will grap it .
I thank eating insects is a good idea.
No , I won’t eat insects in whole my life because I think its so dirty !
No of course i can’t eat incenses ever never it’s disgusting:(
I never eat insects in all my live ,It’s disgusting in my opinion
I cant eat insect even if i haven’t any food
It’s disgusting. I can’t even imagine it
Hell no!!!!
I don’t eat the insects because it is not healthy of the body, and i disgust and very disgust from this .
I dont like eat insects, and i dont think to eat
because they made me uncomfortable.
I feeling nausea when i think to eat insects
I don’t think I will eat insects at all .
I won’t eat insects in whole my life because is a ghastly idea and its awfully awful.
I don’t eat any type of insects and love never thought eating them.l wouldn’t start because the insects are dirty and raise with germ and bacteria.but in fact,in my country some people eat grasshopper.they think they are useful and can be a medicine . I can’t believe that !!
No No No, I won’t start
It’s a great topic, but I don’t think I’ll ever try eating insects, maybe it’s not in my culture
I can only eat marine insects , but I hope I don’t try wild ones
I don’t think that I would like to eat insects at all. But, I would have to think about it.
No way to me experience the food that contains of insect it makes me to feel nauseous, but in my city some people can eat the insect like locusta and enjoying ,preferring, eating this kind of insect.
i dont like to eat insects, I hope to try it and taste its taste.
Great
i don’t eat insects and i won’t start it .
hi
i can’t imagen me eat the insects but i have a benefited from this broadcast
useful information
thank you
You’re welcome!
no
i lived in Thaibinh, Vietnam where is called the hometown of rice. I remeber that when i was a child, for the time of harvesting, my mother brought a lot of katydids. She cut their swings, and put them in hot pot. I really injoined this meal. Now, people use pesticides to kill insects, I can not eat them any more.
i think it’s sounds insane to who eat insects , it’s very bad and disgust !!