When it comes to protein sources, most people always think of meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Sure, those mainstream foods not only taste good but also provide lots of proteins for us. However, meat production consumes lots of our resources and creates a large amount of wasting materials such as fossil fuel and water and land consumption. Moreover, it harms the environment and pollutes the air and water.
Thus, an environment-friendly protein source-worm is getting noticed. The amount of proteins, amino, and vitamins of the worm is similar to meat, but the breeding of edible worm requires much fewer resources and greener. The idea of eating worms may not appeal to most of the people. However, some countries such as Thailand and Indonesia have been doing it for centuries. To them, eating worms is as normal as eating meat. Worms are nothing but delicacies.
Pic courtesy:LIVIN Farms http://photo.gmw.cn/2016-01/19/content_18554734_2.htm
In order to advocate the environment-friendly food source, and eliminate the pollution of food production. Designers Katharina Unger and Julia Kaisinger have developed LIVIN Farms Hive. A desktop farm can automatically supply edible mealworms for home consumption for good.
With Living farms, customers can breed mealworms at home and add this high-protein food into their recipes to reduce the need of meat.
How does LIVIN Farms Hive work? Pupa in the top compartment will hatch into beetles, which will mate and lay eggs that fall into a lower compartment, which subsequently grow into mealworms and are harvested into a bottom compartment. The user then freezes the mealworms to put them into hibernation, before cooking.
Designers say that about 200-500 grams of mealworms will be yielded per week. Mealworms can be cooked with various methods including frying, baking, roasting, etc. It can also be added to hamburgers and salad, enriching the flavor and nutrients.
Maybe in the future, the environment-friendly food- worms can be mainstream food and reduce the need for meat. Providing us an environmental solution and stop us from harming and polluting our world. Furthermore, this rapid production food can provide a solution to eliminate world hunger and food crisis, preventing starvation from drought and flood.
Source: http://hypebeast.com/2015/11/livin-farms-mealworm-hive-kickstarter