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Europe
歐洲板塊
Edible insects
可食用昆蟲
A bug's life
蟲子的一生
The EU lets farm animals and people eat insects
歐盟允許家畜和人類吃昆蟲
First it was pets, then fish. Now it's poultry and pigs.
先是寵物，然后是魚，現在輪到家禽和豬。
The list of animals allowed to feed on insects is growing.
以昆蟲為食的動物種類越來越多。
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，一項允許在家禽和豬飼料中使用昆蟲蛋白的新法律在歐盟生效。對于一個渴望進入動物飼料行業的行業來說，這是一個重要的里程碑。
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“瘋牛病”危機爆發后，自此政府禁止加工動物蛋白，大豆和魚粉成為歐洲制作動物飼料的主要來源。
But their production needs lots of space and can be harmful to the environment, so feed manufacturers are looking for alternatives.
但生產需要大量空間，對環境也不友好，所以飼料制造商正在尋找替代品。
Insects are just the ticket.
昆蟲的出現正當時。
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.
它們在少土少水的垂直農場中飼養，可以靠農副產品或食物殘渣（如腐爛的水果和蔬菜）為食。
They're also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.
和動物飼料簡直是天作之合。大多數的野生魚類、鳥類和豬都吃昆蟲。
The one thing going against them is price: insect protein is two to three times more expensive than fishmeal, and many times pricierthan soy.
美中不足的是價格：昆蟲蛋白的價格比魚粉高出2到3倍，比大豆高出好幾倍。
Scaling up production may help reduce the disparity.
或許擴大產量有助于縮小差距。
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.
荷蘭合作銀行預測，到2030年，每年全球昆蟲的產量將從目前的1萬噸增加至50萬噸，價格也將大幅下降。
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.
昆蟲公司一直在努力推銷自己的產品。研究表明，昆蟲不止是飼料，除了填飽肚子外，它們還能夠提高生長速度、增強免疫系統。
They also offer the prospect of a green, local protein.
它們開創了一種綠色的本地蛋白質的未來。
Poultry and pig feed are by farthe largest animal-feed markets, but they're more competitive than food for pets or fish.
目前家禽和豬飼料是最大的動物飼料市場，但比起寵物或魚的飼料，它們的競爭也更大。
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是一家粉蟲（甲蟲幼蟲）公司，其首席執行官安托萬·休伯特表示，昆蟲蛋白最初可能只會用于優質肉類。
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，歐洲食品安全局裁定，三種昆蟲（黃粉蟲、蝗蟲和蟋蟀）對人類來說也是安全的。
Oddly, people seem less keen on the idea than chickens and pigs.
奇怪的是，人們對“吃蟲”的熱情似乎不如雞和豬。
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