Can’t afford oxtail or goat meat; don’t worry! You can curry crickets!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

For all my meat eaters out there, your lifestyle is about to get a little more expensive, and guess what? Our government is looking to replace meat with insects. Yep!  You heard me insects. Let’s take a look at what is going on here.

According to some “experts” rearing livestock and growing crops to feed them has destroyed more tropical forest, and killed more than any other industry. The claim is that animal agriculture produces vast quantities of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

They say that the environmental consequences are so profound that the world cannot meet climate goals and keep ecosystems intact without rich countries reducing their consumption of beef, pork and chicken.

Therefore, in order to slash emissions, slow the loss of biodiversity and secure food for a growing world population, there must be a change in the way meat and dairy is made and consumed.

Media companies have been promoting this campaign more than ever. Fast Company Sunday wrote, “It’s time for a meat tax. To meet our climate goals, we need to stop eating so much meat. More expensive burgers could change people’s eating behaviours, protect the planet, and even make other food more affordable.”

“A meat tax is probably inevitable,” echoed The Conversation.

Phoebe Weston (The Guardian), chimed in with, “A meat tax, or sin taxes would be more effective. A meat tax would mainly incentivise manufacturers to put less meat in products (eg, a sausage might have 60% meat instead of 70%), but there is no government appetite for it.”

Wales Online for MSN.com warns, “Experts say to prepare yourself for a steep meat tax.”

When the mainstream media starts to push something we all need to be worried, and you know what comes next? The science.

Research published in the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, considered how an environmental tax on meat could work.

“Our calculations suggest that the average retail price for meat in high-income countries would need to increase by 35%-56% for beef, 25% for poultry, and 19% for lamb and pork to reflect the environmental costs of their production. In the UK, where the average price for a 200g beefsteak is around £2.80, consumers would pay between £3.80 and £4.30 at the checkout instead.”

Well, what are all the meat eaters going to eat? Well our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invested taxpayer money in “insect protein.” According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, “Our government is investing $8.5 million in a new production plant that will produce cricket protein for pet and human food. The facility will be run by Aspire Food Group, whose vision is to celebrate, innovate, and advance responsible farming and healthy eating of insects.”

London Ontario will be the home of our new insect factory, and is expected to house four billion crickets and produce 13 million kilograms of cricket protein per year.

You heard it Canadians. This is what our government has in store for us. I guess in Canada, it is the year of the cricket. Happy chirping!