TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) hosted a two-day forum beginning on Monday (June 24) inviting domestic and foreign experts to discuss insect breeding as a means of replacing traditional animal protein as a future food source.
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Chiayi Branch planned to serve lychee stink bugs to forum attendees, but concerns from health authorities and the public led it to scale back its presentation to a simple bug cooking demonstration. Taiwan’s experience introducing this insect as an alternative protein source served as the basis for a food safety discussion, per CNA.
Experts from South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Germany were among the one hundred participants at the forum, which discussed the latest developments in insect breeding and diverse applications in livestock husbandry and the food industry. Some hope the promotion of the insect breeding industry can help promote sustainable agriculture.
TARI Director Lin Hsueh-shih (林學詩) said limited agricultural land and marine resources coupled with climate change will lead to a shortage of traditional livestock and animal protein in the future. Thus, the development of alternative protein sources is an important initiative for many countries.
Lin said insect farming can be an important source of alternative protein for both livestock and humans as it requires less land, water, and energy. Insects also grow faster and produce more offspring.
Insects can also convert agricultural surplus or waste into usable protein that has a high nutritional value, according to Lin. The development of insects for feed purposes is also in line with the sustainable development goals promoted by the United Nations.
TARI said it began studying the feasibility of insects as an alternative protein source in 2019 and organizing teams to research insects as animal feed in 2020. By hosting the forum, TARI hopes to promote more exchange between academia, industry, and government policymakers on insect breeding to meet future challenges.