Italian photographer Maurizio di Pietro’s shot of an insect food experiment at the University of Turin has won the top prize in the Environmental Photographer of the Year competition. While the image may seem nightmarish, it may have the power to provide a solution to food scarcity, a global problem. The experiment explored the use of insect flour as a nutrition source for rainbow trout and chickens. The Hermetia illucens, or soldier fly, is a rich source of proteins and a highly sustainable food source, requiring minimal water and soil.
The photo is part of di Pietro’s Zero Hunger series, a documentation of worldwide food insecurity, with the aim to offer a solution through the inclusion of insects in the human diet. As climate change intensifies, Italy is experiencing its home country facing a reality where 22% of citizens already face food insecurity, this number is expected to rise in the coming years. Therefore, the image represents a potential solution to the climate change crisis.
Prof Laura Gasco, the project lead, expects that the experiment will pave the way for the wider use of insect flour as a sustainable solution for the food production industry. Insects contribute to a circular economy by feeding on food waste, which would otherwise end up in landfills. Such experiments inspire people to abandon a doom-drenched view of the world and explore better alternative solutions, according to di Pietro.
Positive News, which announced the winner of the award, is a media platform that aims to build a better alternative to negative news media, which is in tune with social interests rather than catering to wealthy media moguls. The news channel is calling for readers’ support to sustain its operations, as producing all the solution journalism news readers are longing for would require more funding. They ask readers to contribute regularly and join their community in making a change in the news.
Main image: Maurizio di Pietro
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