Cricket flour is high in protein and micronutrients including iron and calcium, while requiring 20 times fewer natural resources than beef per gram of protein.

Exo makes energy bars with cricket flour, using recipes developed by a triple Michelin-starred chef. The bars are high in protein, low in sugar and nutritionally dense. Insects, such as crickets, are easy to farm, as they reproduce quickly and require very little feed, water and space compared to conventional livestock.

The crickets are 69% protein by dry weight compared with 31% for chicken breast and 29% for sirloin steak, according to Exo. Moreover, crickets produce around 1% of the methane that cattle do, and consume a sixth of their feed without requiring acres of grassland to graze on.

Sustainable, healthy and delicious — eating insects simply makes sense. Convincing people to act on that logic, and overcome the psychological hurdle, is the real challenge though.

Gabi Lewis – CEO, Exo.

The fifth assessment report from IPCC concludes that global warming could reduce agricultural production by as much as two percent each decade for the rest of this century. It is also expected that food production will need to double by 2050 to feed the growing population, expected to hit 9 billion by 2050. With this in mind, insect protein represents an efficient alternative to current practices, with the ability to lower greenhouse gas emissions, feed and water use.