ARTICLE 44 F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 Industrial insect farming is starting to soar in Europe. It is touted as a ‘sustainable’ form of agriculture with insect facilities seeming to have a smaller environmental footprint than other livestock systems. Yet, behind its image as a “sustainable” food source for people, insect farming is mainly about insects being used as feed for animals, with the growing industry predominantly driven by a need to feed other farm animals in intensive systems. Therefore, its success depends on an increased demand for (and consumption of) animals, shifting focus from the necessary move towards a more plant-based diet, that is an integral aspect of creating more sustainable food systems. The latter, moreover, is an objective of the European Union (EU). THE WRONG ANSWER TO THE WRONG QUESTION However, the distinction between farming insects for food or feed is not readily made. Farmed insects are claimed to be sustainable because they are “alternative proteins” that could reduce the human consumption of (other) animal products. The term “alternative” is poorly chosen, unlike yeasts, algae or cultivated meats, insects are animals. This is not merely a semantic issue, misrepresenting the nature INSECT FARMING: INSECT WELFARE MATTERS, THE EU SHOULD TAKE IT SERIOUSLY “Insect producers should also care about insect welfare, because improved animal welfare goes hand in hand with improved productivity, for example through reduced mortality, improved health, improved product quality, improved disease resistance and reduced medication, lower risk of zoonoses and foodborne diseases, and higher willingness to pay by consumers, as well as societal benefits such as farmer job satisfaction and contributions to Corporate Social Responsibility.” Dr. Lizzie Rowe Animal Welfare Consultant Jacopo Moccia Political Advisor Eurogroup for Animals (EfA)
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