TEDx Minneapolis: Why we should all eat bugs

Did you know restaurants around the globe are putting insects on the menu? Entomophagist (someone who eats insects as food) Sujaya Rao, PhD, shares why bugs are not only a good source of nutrition, but delicious food, too. She believes we need to learn about the benefits of consuming insects and change our negative perceptions in order to address present and future global food security challenges. Give insects a try and spread the word!

Before she was the head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota, Rao worked with farmers for over two decades to find insect pest management and pollination solutions. In the midst of her efforts, she realized that the goal of eliminating insect pests in crops conflicted with the need to conserve bees. By educating the public on the nutritional and agricultural benefits of insects as food, Rao hopes to gather support for eating bugs as a more sustainable way of feeding the global population, which is projected to be 9 billion plus humans in the year 2050.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx. Photo credit: TEDx Minneapolis.