Edible Insects

12 Videos

• 2-1: Which animals are edible?
• 2-2: Which parts of animals are edible?
• 2-3: Does preparation matter?
• 2-4: What are insects?
• 2-5: Edible arthropods
• 2-6: “Why not eat insects?”
• 2-7: Diffusion of Innovations
• 2-8: Characteristics of successful innovations
• 2-9: Active and passive rejection
• 2-10: Food or contamination?
• 2-11: Social aspects of food
• 2-12: Historical Example: Lobsters

2 Readings

• Vincent Holt (1885) “Why not eat insects?”
• Shelomi (2015) “Why we still don't eat insects: Assessing entomophagy promotion through a diffusion of innovations framework."

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 2

1 Discussions

• What edible animals do you not eat, and why? Of the animals that you do eat, which edible parts do you not eat, and why?

12 Videos

• 3-1: Ancient Insect Eating
• 3-2: Collecting on the side
• 3-3: Agricultural pests
• 3-4: Seasonal and special treats
• 3-5: The loss of traditional entomophagy
• 3-6: Special Case: Mexico
• 3-7: What is “modern” food?
• 3-8: Special Case: Mopane and shea caterpillars
• 3-9: From novelty to normalized
• 3-10: Special Case: Thailand
• 3-11: Gourmet food and haute cuisine
• 3-12: Special Case: Cambodia’s tarantulas

1 Readings

• Jongema, Y. (2017). “List of edible insects of the world”

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 3

12 Videos

• 4-1: Why not eat humans?
• 4-2: The environmental cost of meat.
• 4-3: The environmental benefit of insects.
• 4-4: Insect- vs. Plant-based proteins
• 4-5: Nutrition I: Protein, carbs, and fiber
• 4-6: Nutrition II: Fats, vitamins, and minerals
• 4-7: Food safety and allergies
• 4-8: Religion and eating insects
• 4-9: Where do you draw the line?
• 4-10: Do insects feel pain?
• 4-11: Are insects conscious?
• 4-12: Entoveganism

2 Readings

• van Huis & Oonincx 2017, “The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review”
• Fischer, B. (2019). “How to reply to some ethical objections to entomophagy.”

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 4

2 Discussions

• What are the pros and cons of the sustainability-focused “eating insects to save the world” argument? What assumptions does it make?
• Should vegans eat insects? If you are vegetarian or vegan, would you consider insects as acceptable?

12 Videos

• 5-1: Wild-harvesting vs. Farming
• 5-2: Special Case: Nsenene
• 5-3: Semi-cultivation
• 5-4: Farming crickets
• 5-5: Farming palm weevils
• 5-6: Farming mealworms
• 5-7: Insect farming is big business!
• 5-8: Insects as animal feed
• 4-9: Farming black soldier fly
• 5-10: Research on black soldier fly
• 5-11: Welfare of farmed insects
• 5-12: Insect farming against hunger and poverty

2 Readings

• Good Agricultural Practices for Cricket Farming
• Black Soldier Fly Biowaste Processing A Step-by-Step Guide

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 5

12 Videos

• 6-1: How to prepare insects
• 6-2: How to cook insects
• 6-3: Powdered insects
• 6-4: Sauces, spices, and ice cream
• 6-5: How do insects taste?
• 6-6: Packaging, storage, and shipping
• 6-7: Where to get insects
• 6-8: Insect eating and the media
• 6-9: Person blame vs. System blame
• 6-10: Novel food laws
• 6-11: Laws on feed and farming
• 6-12: Why edible insect laws are needed

1 Readings

• Bugsolutely. “Trying Edible Insects for the First Time”

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 6

2 Discussions

• Think of a food from your culture where one ingredient could be replaced with insects. How would this affect the complexity of the recipe? Would people accept it? Does this insect version have any advantages?
• Assume you wanted to eat insects daily. How would your society need to change for this to be practical and possible?

12 Videos

• 7-1: Arthropods and cheese
• 7-2: Honey bees: Pollination
• 7-3: Honey bees: Honey
• 7-4: Honey bees: Other products
• 7-5: Carmine
• 7-6: Lac
• 7-7: Silk
• 7-8: Frass, lerps, and galls
• 7-9: Insects as medicine
• 7-10: Bioprospecting vs fairy dust
• 7-11: Living insect services
• 7-12: Future: Insects in space

1 Assignment

• Quiz for Module 7

2 Discussions

• How can you tell if an ingredient in a cosmetic or a supplement has an actual effect, or is just a marketing gimmick?
• How can you tell if a traditional medicine is effective or not? What about a modern treatment?

1 Peer Review

• Peer Review 1

1 Readings

• Rubric for Final Project Grading

1 Peer Review

• Peer Review 2

1 Readings

• Rubric for honors assignment