2021年经济学人 欧盟为可食用昆虫开绿灯（在线收听）

Europe

欧洲板块

Edible insects

可食用昆虫

A bug's life

虫子的一生

The EU lets farm animals and people eat insects

欧盟允许家畜和人类吃昆虫

First it was pets, then fish. Now it's poultry and pigs.

先是宠物，然后是鱼，现在轮到家禽和猪。

The list of animals allowed to feed on insects is growing.

以昆虫为食的动物种类越来越多。

A new EU law authorising the use of insect protein in poultry and pig feed came into force earlier this month, a significant milestone for an industry keen to worm its way into the animal-feed business.

本月初，一项允许在家禽和猪饲料中使用昆虫蛋白的新法律在欧盟生效。对于一个渴望进入动物饲料行业的行业来说，这是一个重要的里程碑。

Since a ban on processed animal protein was imposed in 2001 in the wake of the "mad cow" crisis, soy and fish meal have become the bedrock of animal feed in Europe.

2001年“疯牛病”危机爆发后，自此政府禁止加工动物蛋白，大豆和鱼粉成为欧洲制作动物饲料的主要来源。

But their production needs lots of space and can be harmful to the environment, so feed manufacturers are looking for alternatives.

但生产需要大量空间，对环境也不友好，所以饲料制造商正在寻找替代品。

Insects are just the ticket.

昆虫的出现正当时。

They are reared in vertical farms that require little land or water, and they can be fed on agricultural by-products or food waste such as rotting fruit and vegetables.

它们在少土少水的垂直农场中饲养，可以靠农副产品或食物残渣（如腐烂的水果和蔬菜）为食。

They're also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.

和动物饲料简直是天作之合。大多数的野生鱼类、鸟类和猪都吃昆虫。

The one thing going against them is price: insect protein is two to three times more expensive than fishmeal, and many times pricierthan soy.

美中不足的是价格：昆虫蛋白的价格比鱼粉高出2到3倍，比大豆高出好几倍。

Scaling up production may help reduce the disparity.

或许扩大产量有助于缩小差距。

Rabobank, a Dutch lender, predicts that global insect production will reach 500,000 tonnes a year by 2030, up from just 10,000 tonnes currently, and that prices will tumble.

荷兰合作银行预测，到2030年，每年全球昆虫的产量将从目前的1万吨增加至50万吨，价格也将大幅下降。

Insect companies have worked hard on their pitch. Research suggests insects may be more than mere feed, boosting growth rates and immune systems as well as filling stomachs.

昆虫公司一直在努力推销自己的产品。研究表明，昆虫不止是饲料，除了填饱肚子外，它们还能够提高生长速度、增强免疫系统。

They also offer the prospect of a green, local protein.

它们开创了一种绿色的本地蛋白质的未来。

Poultry and pig feed are by farthe largest animal-feed markets, but they're more competitive than food for pets or fish.

目前家禽和猪饲料是最大的动物饲料市场，但比起宠物或鱼的饲料，它们的竞争也更大。

For that reason, says Antoine Hubert, ceo of YNSECT, a mealworm (beetle larvae) firm, insect protein will probably be used only in premium meat at first.

YNSECT是一家粉虫（甲虫幼虫）公司，其首席执行官安托万·休伯特表示，昆虫蛋白最初可能只会用于优质肉类。

This year the European Food Safety Agency has ruled that three species of insects (yellow mealworm, locusts and house crickets) are safe for humans to eat as well.

今年，欧洲食品安全局裁定，三种昆虫（黄粉虫、蝗虫和蟋蟀）对人类来说也是安全的。

Oddly, people seem less keen on the idea than chickens and pigs.

奇怪的是，人们对“吃虫”的热情似乎不如鸡和猪。