Insects for dinner: do we have a duty of care?

It’s well known that insects are a good, and abundant, source of protein.

But just because we can eat them, should we be considering whether we should? And if we should eat them, do we need to start thinking seriously about how we farm them?

In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by Adam Hart, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire.

They discuss some of the ethical issues around using insects as a source of protein.

Professor Hart explain what an insect is (clue: it’s about more than just having six legs), and tells us how scientists try to go about measuring what an insect is feeling.

And he tries to answer the biggest question: Is it morally better to feed many people with one large cow, or kill thousands of worms to feed the same number of people?

Adam Hart, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire, Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society

A biologist, broadcaster and author, Adam works on a range of topics including African ecology and conservation, insects and citizen science.

He has made more than 30 documentaries for BBC Radio and World Service, most recently the series Tooth and Claw, eight programmes examining our complex relationships with predators.

His last book, Unfit for Purpose, discussed how our evolution has made us a bad fit for the modern world we’ve made.

Coming out in 2022, his new book Eaten explores our difficult interactions with the world’s greatest predators, and how we can balance conservation with development to create a world where predators and people can thrive.