Soaring energy prices have sharply increased living costs for Europeans. Since early last year, global oil prices doubled, coal prices nearly quadrupled and European natural gas prices increased almost seven-fold. With energy prices likely to remain above pre-crisis levels for some time, Europe must adapt to higher import bills for fossil fuels.

In a new working paper, we estimate that the average European household will see a rise of about 7 percent in its cost of living this year relative to what we expected in early 2021. This reflects the direct effect of higher energy prices as well as their pass-through to other goods and services. The large differences in impact across countries reflect different regulations, policy responses, market structures, and contracting practices. The spike in the cost of living could get worse in the event of a cutoff in gas supplies from Russia. 

In most European countries, higher energy prices impose an even heavier burden on low-income households because they spend a larger share of their budget on electricity and gas. Soaring energy prices could mean an even colder and darker winter across Europe, with governments racing to find new ways to protect households facing huge utility bills.

While Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss battle publicly over energy prices in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as the UK’s next prime minister, governments of all stripes are facing the same challenges across the continent.

Let them eat bugs: European Commission approves insects for Human Consumption

The Europian Union will soon see insects being sold and marketed as ‘officially approved’ food. The Europian Commission has recently allowed some specific kinds of insects to be sold as food and food ingredients. 

Insects as food and especially as an alternative source of protein are on the rise in Europe. 

Reasons given for the increasing attractiveness of insects as so-called novel food are their high nutritional value (high protein content, rich in vitamins and nutrients) and their cost- and resource-efficient breeding, which is characterized, among other things, by their short development cycle, rapid population growth, high weight gain per day, and a high conversion rate from feed to body weight (van Huis et al., 2013). Already 50% of the 14 to 29-year-old population can envision the consumption of insects as a measure to feed the growing population in the future (for a Nutrition Report 2019/2020, in German). According to Meticulous Research (via Bloomberg, 2019), the market volume in Europe will have quadrupled to 218.5% by 2023 compared to 2018.

Sharing the news that the ‘house cricket’, yellow mealworm, and ‘migratory locusts’ can now be used in food and food ingredients throughout the EU, the European Commission announced that they have been categorized as ‘novel food’. The European Commission then shared a long thread of tweets to convince people that eating these insects is ‘safe’ because they contain high protein, fibers, and vitamins.

It also added that eating insects is 'good for the environment' because there is less greenhouse gas emission, less use of water and arable lands, the high feed conversion efficiency of insects, and less food waste when crickets, worms, and locusts are consumed by the population.

Crunchy, nutritious, and now likely to hit dinner plates and supermarket isles; three types of bugs have now been certified as food fit for human consumption by the European Union. 

The bugs are permitted to be sold in frozen, dried, and powdered forms. Protix BV, which operates Europe’s biggest insect farm, says the move will allow them to commercialize insects as a sustainable protein alternative in dishes various types of food, such as cereal bars or dried pasta.

And it’s unlikely that these will be the only bugs to challenge European pallets, the European Commission has said that there are nine approval applications for insects of other kinds. Protix says they have an application for black soldier flies in the works.

“Let them eat cake” is the most famous quote attributed to Marie-Antoinette, the Queen of France during the French Revolution.

As ESG-focused investors take on the meat industry, while the cost of beef and chicken go up, European consumers are to feed on bug and insect food. In Europe, most insect protein being manufactured has been for pets and as feed.

However, many Europeans seem unhappy about the decision

Edo Twitt 🇮🇹 @2_crim replied to @EU_Commission "All members of the UE Commission and their families should be fed only on those insects for the rest of their lives. Bon Appetit!"

HyperSurrealist @SurrealistHyper too joined in to scold @EU_Commission saying, "what??? Is this the EU that we have dreamed of? Be my guest, eat bugs while I keep eating Greek meals. By the way, Ursula, are you, or anyone of the commissioners, going to resign due to the energy fiasco that your decisions have generated?"

Mike Hunt @FREEDOM_4_YOU_2 gave a link to the study and pointed out, "You know those edible insects you keep hearing you're gonna be eating soon? Well turns out, according to an extremely rigorous study, a whole host of parasites were found in the "livestock" of 81% of insect farms. Yummy"

As per reports, the EU Commission had added migratory locusts to the list back in November 2021, saying that locusts, along with yellow mealworms, can be consumed as food. In February, there were reports that the EU might soon add a third insect, the house cricket, to the list too. It has finally been realized.

The European Commission which provides the approval had stated then that these insects can be sold and marketed as snacks or food ingredients either in dried or frozen form with legs removed or in a powder form.

Pakistan minister had asked people to eat locust biriyani

In 2019 when large swarms of locusts were attacking crops in Pakistan, a minister of agriculture in Sindh province asked people to start eating them. Ismail Rahu had suggested citizens of Karachi take advantage of the locusts by preparing delicious dishes such as biryani, Kadhai, and barbecue. He said that the citizens should rather add these free-flying proteins to their biryanis, Kadhais and BBQs instead of getting scared of them.

In a video clip, the Sindh minister of agriculture was heard saying: “They have come all the way here so the residents should eat them.”

It is notable here that as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, a rough heat wave and the energy crisis created by Europe’s own sanctions against Russia, the region is currently facing a steep price rise in essential items and services like heating and electricity supply.

References:

opindia.com