Starvation-threatened Africans are being encouraged to eat insects by a UK aid initiative.

African caterpillars, migratory locusts and black soldier flies are on the menu under the initiative taking place in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo - but locals are rejecting the offer due to the taste and cultural norms.

Dr Alberto Fiore, the project lead who has whipped up a dish of locally farmed mopane worms, cereals, and fruits, has also created a insect-based porridge containing grains including sorghum and millets, which he reassured the Guardian is palatable.

  • cult@lemmy.ml
    44·
    2 years ago

    Eating insects is an ancient thing that the vast majority of humans cultures have (and still do) practiced. Even today over 80% of countries practice it.

    The mopane worms of South Africa, for example, are an important symbol of indigenous sovereignty and activism.

    One thing that agriculture invented was food instability. Before that gatherer groups had a really large diverse of foods they could rely on. Lifespans were longer and chronic health conditions were rare. Then we decided got forced into putting all our eggs in one basket and relying on very few main food sources (mainly to support a ruling class). One bad drought and many people die. Europe was basically in constant famine after famine until they finally got the amazing technology of the potato from Andean farmers (Andean farmers actually have over 300 extremely diverse varieties of potatoes of all colors of the rainbow and everything from ornamental to medicinal uses, but Europeans just took 2 or 3 varieties and rolled with it)

    Y’all need to go outside and stop being so snobby about new foods