As a technology analyst, I read a lot of market reports. Most are not as crunchy (and unpalatable) as  the Global Market Study on Edible Insects, by Persistence Market Research.

Some takeaways from the report’s summary:

In terms of value, the global edible insects market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period and is expected to account for US$ 722.9 million by 2024 end. Orthoptera (cricket, grasshopper, and locusts) segment is projected to register a CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period, driven by rising demand for cricket granola bars, cricket crackers, cricket cookies, and cricket chocolates. Of the various edible insect type products, the beetle’s segment is estimated to account for approximately 30.8% share of the global market share in 2016, and caterpillars segment is estimated to account for 17.9% share.

Also:

Demand for edible insects in countries in Europe is on the rise, primarily owing to factors such as low risk of disease – as transmission of zoonotic diseases (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) such as H1N1 (bird flu) and BSE (mad cow disease) is low with regard to insects – and higher protein and nutrients and micronutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc, and fatty acids in comparison to meat and fish products. Insects are particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children owing to easier digestibility.

Yeah, I guess it makes sense…. but still. More info:

On the basis of insect type, the global edible insect market is segmented into beetles, caterpillars, hymenoptera (wasps, bees, and ants), orthoptera (cricket, grasshopper, and locusts), true bugs, and others (termites, dragonflies, flies, and etc.) segments.

The most commonly and commercially consumed product type of edible insect is as a whole. The as a whole segment accounted for 65.3% share of the global market in 2015. Insects are majorly consumed as a whole, which is usually raw. As an ingredient, edible insects are consumed majorly as snacks and baked products. A major trend in the global edible insects market is increasing applications of edible insects in protein bars and shakes, increasing the availability of flavored food products using edible insect proteins, availability of mixed insect pack and usage as a coloring agent in food products.

Why insects?

Insect rearing involves low capital investment as compared to that needed for another conventional livestock rearing such as cattle, swine, and chicken. Substantial increase in global population and decreasing resources are other factors expected to drive demand for alternative food sources. According to United Nations, global population in 2050 is expected to reach 9 billion, significantly outgrowing existing food resources. Insects contain high protein and amino acids and can be a sustainable food source in future.

The report costs $4,900. Zesty!

CQ CQ CQ de IOC: The Organising Committee for the Tokyo 2020 Games have approved new competitions to celebrate Amateur Radio.

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said, “The inclusion of Amateur Radio will afford athletes the chance of a lifetime to realise their dreams of competing in the Olympic Games – the world’s greatest sporting stage – and inspire them to achieve their best, both in sport and in life.”

Throughout the history of amateur radio, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services. Research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency.

Amateur radio is a hobby and, by law, completely non-commercial. Individual amateur “ham” radio operators pursue the avocation for personal pleasure through building their own radio stations and communicating with their fellows globally, and for self-improvement via study and practice of electronics, computers, and radio and TV wave behaviour.

Radio amateurs are, thus, “amateurs” in the true sense of the word: pursuit of an activity only for the love of it. Radio amateurs can not broadcast or transmit music and other general public entertainment programming. The amateur radio use of the air waves is for personal satisfaction and for forwarding the “state of the art” of electronics and communication techniques. Amateur radio operations can be detected in designated bands throughout the radio spectrum, using a variety of modulation methods including Morse code, voice and digital modes, and image modes such as television and facsimile.

The Amateur Radio competitions were inspired by the World Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC). WRTC2014, in Massachusetts, U.S.A., included 59 competing teams from 38 countries.

Described as the “ultimate International Field Day” by radio enthusiasts, new for the Tokyo 2020 Games are the following competitions within the Amateur Radio category in response to the new flexibility provided by Olympic Agenda 2020:

• Men’s 20-, 40-, 80-and 160-Meter Antenna Tuning
• Women’s 40-, 80-and 160-Meter Antenna Tuning
• Men’s Synchronized 10-Meter Tower Dive
• Men’s Freestyle Speed Keying
• Women’s Freestyle Speed Keying
• Women’s Uneven (Upper and Lower Sideband) Bars
• Women’s 10-Meter Dash-and-Dot
• Men’s 15-Meter Greco-Roman CW Sprint
• Men’s Synchronized PSK31 (Phase Shift Keying, 31 Baud)
• Women’s 15-Meter SSTV (Slow Scan Television)
• Mixed Doubles Earth-Moon-Earth (Moon Bounce)
• 10GHz-and-Up Team Dressage
• Men’s 6-Meter J-Pole Vault
• Women’s All-Around RTTY Roundup
• Women’s UHF/VHF/HF Triathlon
• Men’s UHF/VHF/HF Triathlon

IOC spokesman Sam Morse said, “The sky is the limit when it comes to Amateur Radio at the Olympic. Actually, with the Moon Bounce competition, even the heavens no longer hold our talented amateurs back. Tokyo 2020’s balanced proposal fulfils all of the goals of the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendation that allowed it. These new competitions will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games.”

Morse continued, “The inclusion of the package of new sports will afford young athletes the chance of a lifetime to realise their dreams of competing in the Olympic Games – the world’s greatest sporting stage – and inspire them to achieve their best, both in sport and in life. We thank the amateurs who shall soon begin qualifying for the Tokyo games by wishing them the IOC’s ’73.’ ”

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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 3.25 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

Eat real food. Avoid food laden with additives, or which are overly processed. My family has a few rules which we follow pretty closely when shopping:

• Always look at the ingredients.
• The fewer ingredients, the better. (Food expert Michael Pollan recommends no more than five ingredients.)
• If one of the ingredients is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), we avoid.
• If we don’t know what some of the ingredients are, we avoid.
• A Kosher symbol is better than no Kosher symbol — but is no guarantee that the food is “real” or healthy or grown/sold in a sustainable way.

While we try to eat healthy, we don’t make a point of looking for so-called “organic” food. In our experience, organic produce is no healthier than regular fruits and veggies, is more expensive, and spoils much faster – we end up throwing a lot away.

In restaurants or when visiting friends, we prefer to eat food where we can visibly identify every ingredient. We don’t like surprises that would either violate religious prohibitions or trigger our few food allergies. For example, baked beans often contain pork, and sauces served with meat can contain cream or other dairy products – both of which are no-nos. So, we aren’t big on stews or casseroles, unless we make them ourselves.

This recent article, “5 Foods You Can Trust—And 5 To Avoid,” from the Diane Rehm show (we heard the original broadcast) is an eye-opener. We haven’t read Larry Olmsted’s book, “Real Food/Fake Food,” but plan to do so.

In the story, there are certainly some recommendations we won’t follow personally, such as to buy whole lobster — we don’t eat any shellfish. However, Olmsted’s point is well taken. Substitution of fish is rampant by suppliers, grocery stores and restaurants; if you order a whole fish, at least you can be reasonably sure that the lobster is really lobster. And that the red snapper is really red snapper, and not tilapia. (Read about this in “One In Three Fish Sold At Restaurants And Grocery Stores Is Mislabeled” from NPR.)

Red Snapper? Yes, as Olmsted’s story says,

Red snapper is a delicious and prized eating fish. It is also commercially rare. A major investigation found that more than 94 percent of the red snapper that appears on menus and at retail stores isn’t real. It’s the poster child for “fake food.” As one scientist well-versed in the subject put it, “just never order red snapper.”

Listen to the interview with Larry Olmsted. Follow Michael Pollan’s seven simple food rules. Look at this list of 20 ingredients to avoid. And eat and live healthier!