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WHY EAT INSECTS?RSM & AUTUMN KIOTI
La Tierra Montessori School
Moving Arts Española
Española, NM
Supported by
The Joan Mitchell Foundation
ENTOMOPHAGY
THE PROBLEM
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
FUTURE of FOOD1
 The world’s population is expected to increase to 9
billion by 2050.
 FAO estimates that global food production will need to
expand by an estimated 60 percent from current levels.
1. Hanboonsong, et al., “Six-legged livestock,” 2013.
A SOLUTION
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
There’s a cricket in my
burger!
Photo: Kang Kim
ENTOMOPHAGY
 Entomophagy, from:
 Entomon = insect
 Phagein = to eat
The use of insects as a
reliable and sustainable
source of food
WHY EAT INSECTS?
1. Nutritional
Insects are a great source of nutritional elements such as proteins, iron, lipids,
etc.
2. Environmental
Raising and harvesting insects for human consumption has a very low
environmental impact.
3. Cultural
There are approximately 1,9001 species of insects consumed by 80% of the world’s
nations2.
1. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): http://www.fao.org/forestry/edibleinsects/en/.
2. Damian Carrington, The Guardian, August 1, 2010.
NUTRITION
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
“Eating a few insects is like
taking a multivitamin”
Patrick B. Durst, senior FAO official
NUTRIENTS1
 Insects offer a wide range of essential nutrients (e.g.,
iron, fiber); but mainly they can be a great source of
amino acids (proteins).
 Insect protein is highly digestible (between 77% and
98%).
 Many insects contain high-level protein quality that can
completely replace meat consumption.
1. Simone Belluco, et al., “Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review,” 2013
Some of the most nutritious insects:
Beetle
Silkworm
Cricket
Grasshopper
Mealworm
Ant larvae (eggs)
ENVIRONMENT
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
Mini-Livestock Environmental
Impact
 Growing and harvesting most species of insects
generates very low environmental impact.1
 Low GHG (greenhouse gases) and ammonia emissions.
 Crickets are twice as efficient to rear as chickens, 4 times
more efficient than pigs and 12 times more than cattle.
 Low water use to grow insects.
1. Arnold van Huis, “Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security,” 2013.
Source: Chapul energy bars
Other uses of insects in
agriculture
 Using insects as cattle feed.
 Eating insects as a measurement for pest control.
 Rearing insects reduces the danger of microbial,
parasitical and chemical (pesticide) hazards.
 Rearing insects, as opposed to harvest them in the wild,
can help the conservation of the species.
1. Arnold van Huis, “Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security,” 2013.
THE THAI PHENOMENON
 In Thailand, 53 of 76 provinces have cricket farms.1
 As of 2012 there were about 20,000 cricket farmers in
Thailand.2
 As opposed to other countries, in Thailand entomophagy
has grown and diversify exponentially.
 Insect farming has become a multimillion-dollar industry
in Thailand.
Yhoung-Aree and Viwatpanich, “Edible insects in the Laos PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam” 2005.
2. Van Huis, et al., Edible Insects, 2013.
3. NY Daily News, August 25, 2014.
CULTURE
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
A CULTURAL PRACTISE1
 Entomophagy is an ancient practice. Humans ate insects
before they ate meat.
 In different cultures, insects have an spiritual and
symbolic significance; such as the sacred beetle in
Egypt, the bee in India, or the jumil (stink bug) in
Mexico.
Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, “Anthropo-entomophagy: Cultures, evolution and sustainability,” 2009.
MEXICO
Photos: Dioela Cortés Salinas
Fried and spicy grasshoppers
(chapulines) in Mexico City.
THAILAND
Photo: Apichart Weerawong
Fried grasshoppers in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.
CHINA
Photo: Chris Elliot
Silkworms in Beijing, China
Other benefits of eating
insects
 Most insects do not possess nociceptors, which has led
us to think that they do not feel pain.
 Insects expand our food range, thus providing a well-
balanced diet.
 Crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers are a kosher option
(Lev. 11:21-22).
 Depending of the school of thought, eating insects can
be halal.
CURRICULUM
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
Middle School CURRICULUM
 Creation of a community-based functional cricket farm
at La Tierra.
 The cricket farm would be the base project to plug in
Science, Biology, Math, Environmental Sciences, Food
Justice, and Visual & Performing Arts.
 Food Justice summit in Spring 2016(?).
 Activities for kids and adults through MAE.
Proposed ACTIVITIES
Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
Sound Wave Totem Workshops at Santa Fe Art Institute and Moving Arts Espanola
DOMESTIC CRICKET COOP
DESIGN
Domestic cricket coop design
 Things to consider:
 Light source and temperature; between 80-90F (26-32C).
 Lots of hiding and crawling spaces for the crickets.
 Removable trays for harvesting.
 Damp, removable, nesting space.
 Ventilation.
 Size?
 Materials?
 Crickets require a water source and food based on calcium and proteins (carrots,
celery, bread crumbs)
RECIPE DESIGN
 Can you come up with a recipe that uses crickets or
cricket flour as the main ingredient?
Autumn Kioti and RSM talking cricket dishes with Chef Joel Coleman
of Fire & Hops Gastropub
RECIPE DESIGN
 Things to consider:
 Crickets are high in protein, so eating them for breakfast might be a good option.
 Crickets are crunchy and their consistency is similar to shrimp.
 What flavors do you think would go well with crickets?
 Where would you sell your dish—a restaurant, food truck, fast food, frozen?
List the ingredients for your dish and describe its preparation; then give your
dish a creative name.
SOUND WAVE SCULPTURE
EXPLORATION
 Listen to crickets
 Explore sound waves
 Discuss exploration, cataloguing
 Choose a cricket’s sound wave to build
 Scavenge
 Map findings
 Create totems
 Why trash? Why allow them to be impermanent?
 What is your connection to the cycle of life?
 Can you match sculptures to sound waves?
THEATRE/PERFORMANCE/
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
 Food justice
 What does justice mean?
 what does it mean in relation to food?
 What feeds us, body and soul?
 How can we honor our connection to what feeds us?
 Discuss activism, theatre, social justice, teaching, themes,
changing the world
 Cricket mythology/folklore
 Design and build puppets/masks
 Create performance
 Discuss themes, what we want to say, what we want the
audience to take away and how do we make that happen
COOKBOOK/ARTIST BOOK
 Summary of more information on the benefits of eating insects.
 Recipes.
 Cricket Coop designs.
 Pictures and Documentation.
 Interviews.
 Links to videos and web content.
 Personal Stories.
CONTACT
autumnkioti.com
artenion.com
autumnkioti@gmail.com
rhema.rsm@gmail.com

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Entomophagy: why eat insects?

  • 1. WHY EAT INSECTS?RSM & AUTUMN KIOTI La Tierra Montessori School Moving Arts Española Española, NM Supported by The Joan Mitchell Foundation ENTOMOPHAGY
  • 2. THE PROBLEM Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
  • 3. FUTURE of FOOD1  The world’s population is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050.  FAO estimates that global food production will need to expand by an estimated 60 percent from current levels. 1. Hanboonsong, et al., “Six-legged livestock,” 2013.
  • 4. A SOLUTION Entomophagy | Why eat insects?
  • 5. There’s a cricket in my burger! Photo: Kang Kim
  • 6. ENTOMOPHAGY  Entomophagy, from:  Entomon = insect  Phagein = to eat The use of insects as a reliable and sustainable source of food
  • 7. WHY EAT INSECTS? 1. Nutritional Insects are a great source of nutritional elements such as proteins, iron, lipids, etc. 2. Environmental Raising and harvesting insects for human consumption has a very low environmental impact. 3. Cultural There are approximately 1,9001 species of insects consumed by 80% of the world’s nations2. 1. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): http://www.fao.org/forestry/edibleinsects/en/. 2. Damian Carrington, The Guardian, August 1, 2010.
  • 9. “Eating a few insects is like taking a multivitamin” Patrick B. Durst, senior FAO official
  • 10. NUTRIENTS1  Insects offer a wide range of essential nutrients (e.g., iron, fiber); but mainly they can be a great source of amino acids (proteins).  Insect protein is highly digestible (between 77% and 98%).  Many insects contain high-level protein quality that can completely replace meat consumption. 1. Simone Belluco, et al., “Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review,” 2013
  • 11. Some of the most nutritious insects: Beetle Silkworm Cricket Grasshopper Mealworm Ant larvae (eggs)
  • 12.
  • 14. Mini-Livestock Environmental Impact  Growing and harvesting most species of insects generates very low environmental impact.1  Low GHG (greenhouse gases) and ammonia emissions.  Crickets are twice as efficient to rear as chickens, 4 times more efficient than pigs and 12 times more than cattle.  Low water use to grow insects. 1. Arnold van Huis, “Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security,” 2013.
  • 16. Other uses of insects in agriculture  Using insects as cattle feed.  Eating insects as a measurement for pest control.  Rearing insects reduces the danger of microbial, parasitical and chemical (pesticide) hazards.  Rearing insects, as opposed to harvest them in the wild, can help the conservation of the species. 1. Arnold van Huis, “Potential of Insects as Food and Feed in Assuring Food Security,” 2013.
  • 17. THE THAI PHENOMENON  In Thailand, 53 of 76 provinces have cricket farms.1  As of 2012 there were about 20,000 cricket farmers in Thailand.2  As opposed to other countries, in Thailand entomophagy has grown and diversify exponentially.  Insect farming has become a multimillion-dollar industry in Thailand. Yhoung-Aree and Viwatpanich, “Edible insects in the Laos PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam” 2005. 2. Van Huis, et al., Edible Insects, 2013. 3. NY Daily News, August 25, 2014.
  • 19.
  • 20. A CULTURAL PRACTISE1  Entomophagy is an ancient practice. Humans ate insects before they ate meat.  In different cultures, insects have an spiritual and symbolic significance; such as the sacred beetle in Egypt, the bee in India, or the jumil (stink bug) in Mexico. Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, “Anthropo-entomophagy: Cultures, evolution and sustainability,” 2009.
  • 21. MEXICO Photos: Dioela Cortés Salinas Fried and spicy grasshoppers (chapulines) in Mexico City.
  • 22. THAILAND Photo: Apichart Weerawong Fried grasshoppers in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.
  • 24. Other benefits of eating insects  Most insects do not possess nociceptors, which has led us to think that they do not feel pain.  Insects expand our food range, thus providing a well- balanced diet.  Crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers are a kosher option (Lev. 11:21-22).  Depending of the school of thought, eating insects can be halal.
  • 26. Middle School CURRICULUM  Creation of a community-based functional cricket farm at La Tierra.  The cricket farm would be the base project to plug in Science, Biology, Math, Environmental Sciences, Food Justice, and Visual & Performing Arts.  Food Justice summit in Spring 2016(?).  Activities for kids and adults through MAE.
  • 28. Sound Wave Totem Workshops at Santa Fe Art Institute and Moving Arts Espanola
  • 30. Domestic cricket coop design  Things to consider:  Light source and temperature; between 80-90F (26-32C).  Lots of hiding and crawling spaces for the crickets.  Removable trays for harvesting.  Damp, removable, nesting space.  Ventilation.  Size?  Materials?  Crickets require a water source and food based on calcium and proteins (carrots, celery, bread crumbs)
  • 31.
  • 32. RECIPE DESIGN  Can you come up with a recipe that uses crickets or cricket flour as the main ingredient? Autumn Kioti and RSM talking cricket dishes with Chef Joel Coleman of Fire & Hops Gastropub
  • 33. RECIPE DESIGN  Things to consider:  Crickets are high in protein, so eating them for breakfast might be a good option.  Crickets are crunchy and their consistency is similar to shrimp.  What flavors do you think would go well with crickets?  Where would you sell your dish—a restaurant, food truck, fast food, frozen? List the ingredients for your dish and describe its preparation; then give your dish a creative name.
  • 34. SOUND WAVE SCULPTURE EXPLORATION  Listen to crickets  Explore sound waves  Discuss exploration, cataloguing  Choose a cricket’s sound wave to build  Scavenge  Map findings  Create totems  Why trash? Why allow them to be impermanent?  What is your connection to the cycle of life?  Can you match sculptures to sound waves?
  • 35. THEATRE/PERFORMANCE/ COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT  Food justice  What does justice mean?  what does it mean in relation to food?  What feeds us, body and soul?  How can we honor our connection to what feeds us?  Discuss activism, theatre, social justice, teaching, themes, changing the world  Cricket mythology/folklore  Design and build puppets/masks  Create performance  Discuss themes, what we want to say, what we want the audience to take away and how do we make that happen
  • 36. COOKBOOK/ARTIST BOOK  Summary of more information on the benefits of eating insects.  Recipes.  Cricket Coop designs.  Pictures and Documentation.  Interviews.  Links to videos and web content.  Personal Stories.

Editor's Notes

  1. The Joan Mitchell Foundation has sponsored my residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute, EXO has partially funded the activities with their cricket-flour energy bar products, and Art in FLUX Harlem has helped me organize activities in NY as well as putting together information, resources and collaborators in the NY area.
  2. Use this slide for introductory remarks on the topic, ask the participants if they have previous knowledge about entomophagy, talk about the image maybe...
  3. Explain that there are thousands of animals that are, by nature, entomophagous (they include insects in their diets) and humans are amongst them. Explain, maybe, the difference between simply eating insects and actively using insects as a food source. Explain that humans ate insects before eating meat.
  4. Preview of the three sections of this presentation.
  5. Although insects are a good source of several nutrients, the main benefit remains their protein content. Emphasize that different proteins are more or less digestible (talk about maybe gluten, which is a protein contained in wheat).
  6. Source: USDA National Nutrient Database, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Comparison between powdered crickets and beef, eggs and milk regarding calories, proteins, fiber, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.
  7. Discuss: Is it possible to replicate the Thailand phenomenon?
  8. This map shows the three main regions with edible insects: Mexico, China and Thailand.
  9. This section is meant to change the perception of insects as undesirable or disgusting showing the significance that they have in other cultures.
  10. Use this slide to preview and introduce the two activities: cricket coop design, recipe design.
  11. Discuss the requirements for a cricket habitat during presentation.
  12. Talk about cricket/shrimp allergy.
  13. Discuss my personal goal as an artist in collaboration with Project 8