RAISE your hand if you haven't heard that insects are the food of the future. The UN seems to think they are: earlier this year, its Food and Agricultural Organization spelled out the benefits of entomophagy.
So much for the theory. Even though 2 billion people routinely eat insects, it hasn't caught on in the West. Disgust gets in the way, which explains the efforts currently under way to introduce insects to the Western palate. London, for example, is swarming with sold-out tasting events, and mainstream acceptance is said to be only a matter of time.
Not so fast. Our insectivorous future is hindered by more than the yuck factor. Witness the trouble faced by Ento, a London company that is seeking to open an insect eatery. When it tried to create a menu, it came face-to-face with the difficulties of finding a reliable supply. Wild edible insects are not abundant in the chilly north, and farming them brings unexpected problems (see "Bug Mac and flies: Are insects really food's future?
The world needs new sources of protein. But to assume we only need to overcome our squeamishness for insects to fill the gap is simplistic.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Grub's up? Don't bet on it"
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