Episode Summary: This episode episode is a segment from a previous episode in which Leekei and Jenn talk about insects and lab-grown meat, their value as a source of protein.

Jenn and Leekei talked about how insects are being used as a food source to reduce our carbon footprint. Different forms have already been used, including Cochineal in shakes and powdered forms in pet foods. They also discussed producing alternatives to meats by growing them in the laboratory.  

To listen to the full episode

For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

You can find out more on page 208 of the Carbon Almanac and on the website you can tap the footnotes link and type in 104

You can also find find the Cricket Burger Hamburger in the free download of The Carbon Almanac For Kids (available in English and 21 other languages!)

----- 

Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Jenn Swanson and Leekei Tang.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer and Community Connector, helping people help themselves. 

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.  

----- 

The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Have you heard about cultured meat?

2

Cultured meat?

3

Yes.

4

Yes.

5

Well, you mean the Beyond Meat?

6

No.

7

And The Impossible Burger.

8

No, no.

9

Those, um, impossible Burgers.

10

Uh, impossible Burger And Beyond.

11

Those are, um, let's

say, uh, big and meat.

12

I'm really talking about right

cultured meat, uh, which is.

13

Which is real, I don't know, , if I should

say real meat, but it's a lab grown meat.

14

So what they do is they take cells of

meat and they , make it grow, , in a lab.

15

And, apparently it's, uh, it's good.

16

It's really good.

17

And you can already buy it in

restaurants and in the market.

18

I think the only country that

you can do it is in Singapore.

19

There's a restaurant.

20

does that.

21

And uh, there's also, um, well actually

there are a couple of restaurants

22

where you can have this type of niche

and uh, also it's like Franken meat.

23

I don't know.

24

No, well, I dunno.

25

It's, you know, this is, this is all

the cultural baggage that you have.

26

. But no, it's not Franken me if you

wanna eat meat, and, uh, if you

27

like meat and, you don't want to hurt

animals, well, you need to find a way.

28

Wow.

29

I guess it's a solution.

30

Interesting.

31

Aren't humans fascinating?

32

They aren't human beings.

33

Just amazing that, that these

kinds of things can be dreamed up.

34

I mean, I think , , we do an awful lot of

damage and we talk about that a lot, but

35

we also are very innovative and creative.

36

Yes.

37

And.

38

. when we need to come up

with a solution, we do it.

39

Yes.

40

And that's, that's always hopeful,

and yeah, this is a solution.

41

I'm not saying that this is a good thing.

42

Right.

43

I'm just talking about this.

44

, just to show you there's

an, there's an option and

45

that, , to illustrate that Yeah.

46

Human beings are incredible creatures.

47

, . Wow.

48

So that's interesting.

49

So I wonder if you can buy, like I'm,

I'm a person who has a lot of allergies.

50

I'm allergic to nuts.

51

I'm allergic to soy.

52

I'm allergic to gluten.

53

Um, I try not to eat meat that

isn't ethically sourced, but it's

54

very hard to not eat meat at all

when I can't get protein from

55

tofu and I can't get protein from.

56

from nuts and, and that, so I'm

wondering if it's possible to source

57

cricket powder or some kind of

powdered insect to add into some kind

58

of, you know, if I was making a pro

my own protein bars, for example.

59

Yeah.

60

I wonder if it's possible to do that.

61

I think you can, and I think you should.

62

You should try.

63

Oh yeah, you can try, yes.

64

Yeah, cuz that might be a good, a

good way to do it if I can just.

65

. When I, when I was in, my

husband and I were in Africa.

66

We were in South Africa in 2011, I think.

67

And, uh, we were on a, uh,

staying in a place where, uh,

68

a game range, a safari range.

69

And we went out for a walk with a

guide one day, and it was very fun.

70

There were giraffe that were trying to

hide from us behind trees, but we could

71

still see them , but they were peeking.

72

. Anyway, one of the things the guy did

with us is he took a stick and he dug

73

a hole and he stuck the hole, the stick

in the hole, and he pulled out some

74

kind of insect and then he ate it,

and then he stuck the thing back in

75

the hole and then passed the insects

around to anyone who wanted to eat it.

76

My husband did.

77

I didn't see, but Oh my goodness.

78

Yeah.

79

So Husbanding experience.

80

Yeah.

81

Yeah.

82

But it was a treat.

83

It was apparently a, a really sweet.

84

and uh, something that was

very common to do there and I

85

thought, Hmm, interesting . Yeah.

86

Maybe you'll try it.

87

Maybe, maybe one day.

88

Yeah.

89

Yeah.

90

Well, this was fun.

91

Now, now I, I'll take my Christmas

baking to a whole new lip

92

Yeah.

93

Maybe for, yeah.

94

Well, so this year's

Christmas , maybe my hum.

95

Bugs will be . Yeah.

96

That's fun.

97

Well, thanks for that.

98

It's good, good to know about these things

and that they're available already and,

99

and that more and more will be coming.

100

I'll, I'll have to do some research

and, uh, learn a little bit more.

101

And if anybody out there knows anything

or has a question about any of this,

102

make sure that you, uh, you let us know.

103

You can go to the Carbon Almanac

and go to our carbon sessions page.

104

, you can, uh, you can leave us a question.

105

You can, uh, you can tell us a

story about your experience eating

106

insects and, uh, you never know.

107

You might, uh, hear yourself on

a podcast in the near future.

108

Yeah, thanks leaky.

109

Thank you, Jen.

110

Bye.

111

You've been listening to Carbon

Sessions, a podcast with carbon

112

conversations for every day with

everyone from everywhere in the world.

113

We'd love you to join the Carbon

sessions so you too can share your

114

perspectives from wherever you are.

115

This is a great way for our community

to learn from your ideas and

116

experiences, connect and take action.

117

If you want to add your voice to

the conversation, go to the carbon

118

almanac.org/podcast and sign up

to be part of a future episode.

119

This podcast is also part of

the Carbon Almanac Network.

120

For more information to sign up for the

emails, to join the movement, and to

121

order your copy of the Carbon Alman.

122

Go to the carbon almanac.org.

123

Be sure to subscribe and join

us here again, as together

124

we can change the world.