A large increase in food requirement will mirror the increasing population and with the traditional sources of meat, such as livestock farming, being one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, solutions to the problem will need to be found.  The problem is that there are an estimated 10 million cows and 30 million sheep in the UK alone, each producing 500 and 20 litres of methane (CH₄) per day respectively.  As methane is 20 times more potent in terms of causing global warming than the main greenhouse gas (CO₂), reducing the our dependence on food from these sources and the associated emissions is essential to reducing the current and future impact on the environment.  This is why the United Nations is keen to address this issue and reduce the amount of meat we eat.

Since the use of antibiotics in livestock feed (to combat the methane producing bacteria in the digestive system) was prohibited by the European Union in 2006, research has been in progress and is already providing some novel solutions to the problem.  Newcastle University has come up with one such solution: adding curry spices to the livestock diet.  As well as taste enhancement, research has shown that turmeric and coriander can slash methane emission in ruminants by up to 40%.  Considering the amount of methane produced and the damaging effect it has, a reduction of this magnitude would be a welcome benefit to the environment.

Another idea highlighted in a policy paper and currently being considered by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is the intensive farming of insects to provide a nutritious alternative to meet.  It’s not my idea of good food either however, eating insects does have its advantages according to the author of the policy paper, Professor Arnol van Huis:

• Insects contain high levels of proteins, vitamins and minerals
• Farming insects as opposed to breading livestock produces 10 times less methane, 300 times less nitrous oxide (another contributor to global warming) and much less ammonia.
• Locus and crickets are calcium rich, providing an alternative source of calcium for the lactose intolerant.

Around 1000 insects are known to be eaten around the world; here are a few of the staple dishes you can expect to eat, should you become an insect eater, as suggested by The Guardian: