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#TheFutureIsYours Transversal and cross-cutting issues
The EU is moving forward with authorisation for the use of farmed insects in feed and food. Whereas the increased use of insects to enrich animal feed is touted as a more sustainable option than other protein sources, promoting insect production will hinder progress towards a sustainable food system by locking the EU into intensive animal farming.
There is an overwhelming lack of knowledge on the impacts of intensive insect production on the environment, animal and human health. Moreover, insect production can be energy intensive and feed produced for insect production could be used to feed farmed animals or, even, consumed by humans. This increased trophic level accentuates competition to use land to grow crops to feed animals, rather than producing food for humans.
Finally, industrial insect production does not respect the insects' behavioural needs and the slaughter process can be unnecessarily painful to them.
The precautionary principle must be applied to decision-making on industrial insect farming. Further EU regulatory approvals need to be anchored in solid scientific evidence.
There is an overwhelming lack of knowledge on the impacts of intensive insect production on the environment, animal and human health. Moreover, insect production can be energy intensive and feed produced for insect production could be used to feed farmed animals or, even, consumed by humans. This increased trophic level accentuates competition to use land to grow crops to feed animals, rather than producing food for humans.
Finally, industrial insect production does not respect the insects' behavioural needs and the slaughter process can be unnecessarily painful to them.
The precautionary principle must be applied to decision-making on industrial insect farming. Further EU regulatory approvals need to be anchored in solid scientific evidence.
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