Why Eating Insects for Protein Is a Terrible Idea
Raising and killing animals for food is destroying the planet and taking billions of lives every year. While humans must move away from eating pigs, cows, chickens, and other animals, switching to bugs for protein is also a terrible idea. For the sake of all species, including our own, we urgently need to stop trying to eat our way through the animal kingdom. Here’s why eating insects is not going to save the planet – and what we can do instead.
Bug Protein: Inefficient, Unsustainable, and Expensive
Imagine how many trillions of insects would have to be raised on farms to meet human demand for flesh. It’s impossible to do so in a sustainable way.
A major review published in 2025 examined 352 papers on the environmental impacts of insect farming, finding that, when produced at scale, insect “foods” are often less environmentally friendly than plant foods. Insects are often used as a substitute for foods like pasta or crackers, but they likely emit more greenhouse gases than these foods .
Escaped insects from farms, with their unnatural concentration of insects in a confined space, could pose a significant risk to local biodiversity, spreading parasites and pathogens.
As co-author Dr Dustin Crummett put it: “There are almost no meaningful safeguards to protect local ecosystems from the risks posed by insect farms spreading diseases or parasites.”
Rather than farming insects, we should focus on solutions that are already available, such as plant-based proteins. Supermarkets across the UK are full of delicious low-carbon vegan options, such as plant-based bacon and nuggets, nuts, tofu, and beans. Even if we completely stopped using fossil fuels immediately, without changing our diet, we’d still face irreversible climate heating. Fighting climate change – and saving animals – is as easy as choosing a bean burger instead of a beef burger.
Eating Bugs: The Ethical Issue
Our knowledge of the lives of insects – from the way ants construct elaborate living structures to how bees communicate complex directions and feel pain – is growing rapidly.
Did you know that crickets perform pleasant songs to accompany summer nights? They’re altruistic and dedicated partners, and male crickets will even risk their lives to protect pregnant females.
Most importantly, insects are sentient beings who exist for their own reasons. All animals, whether they have four legs or six, value their lives and deserve to live free from exploitation. It’s speciesist to think otherwise.
Beware of Bugs in Your Candy
Humans use bugs in common food ingredients. For example, the red dye carmine is made from the crushed bodies of female insects of the Coccidae family, and confectioner’s glaze, also known as shellac, found in sprinkles and some sweets is made from the crushed bodies of female lac bugs.
It’s up to compassionate consumers like you to stop the consumption of bugs for protein becoming the norm. Never buy products containing insects – and always choose plant proteins.
Eat Plants, Not Bugs
Whether you’re considering dropping meat for the sake of animals, the environment, or your health, the way forward is eating plants. Growing plant proteins in the UK emits far fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less pollution than raising animals for their flesh and helps nature to thrive. A vegan lifestyle has health benefits and can reduce individual risk of developing heart disease or diabetes.
Most importantly, going vegan saves lives. Right now, animals farmed for their flesh, eggs, or milk are forced to live in cramped, filthy conditions, and they’re all subjected to a terrifying death at a slaughterhouse. Most chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, and pigs in the UK never see daylight or breathe fresh air, and their tails, beaks, or other body parts are cut off – without anaesthetic. Each feels fear and pain and values their life. When you go vegan, you take a stand against speciesism and the abuse of fellow animals.
Getting Protein From Plants
It’s easy to get all the protein you need from plants. Many people are convinced that they need far more protein than they actually do to be healthy and muscular. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Check out our guides, and start your vegan journey today:
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