Two entrepreneurs in Devon have launched an insect farm to produce dog food in a bid to bring the benefits of bugs to the wider public. Conal Cunningham and Paul Walton set up Mr Bug’s, after being inspired over a bottle of whiskey about the benefits of mealworms for a sustainable future. The insects can be raised indoors at an optimum temperature and humidity to feed a growing demand for the product, the owners said. The pet food industry accounts for up to 3% of the CO2 produced by agriculture worldwide, according to the University of Edinburgh.
“What we have found with mealworms is that they require less resource, there’s no methane, and our by-product doesn’t cause terrible runoffs into rivers – it’s actually beneficial to crops,” said Cunningham. While Mr Bug’s produces dog treats, plans are under way to launch nutritionally complete dog food. Producing the same amount of protein from a cow takes three-and-a-half times more water, 10 times as much land and contributes 10 times more greenhouse gas emissions, the company said.
In the UK, however, only one in seven people said they would be happy to eat insect-based meals, according to a survey by YouGov. Meanwhile, Brexit has created uncertainty as to the classification of edible insects. The EU had previously classified such critters as a “novel food” meaning farming of unapproved species was not permitted. It remains to be seen whether the UK government will continue to align with EU regulations on the matter.
Mr Bug’s is not alone in the insect-based animal food market. Dutch company Lovebug specialises in nutritionally complete cat food, while Bug Farm Foods, run by partners Dr Sarah Beynon and Andy Holcroft, offer mocha chilli crunch cookies, as well as insect powders for cooking. In the US, Don Bugito from founder Monica Martinez offers snacks such as chile and lime crickets with pumpkin seeds
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