The favelas of Rio de Janeiro are home to thriving gardens

The place where waste was piled high a few years back is now home to fruit and vegetables. Residents of Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro’s favela, have created the largest Latin American community vegetable garden. They produce about two tons of food per months on an area that is roughly equal to three football fields.

This is giving the community a new lease of existence. Manguinhos, one of the most dangerous favelas in the City, is where violence and fatal shootings are commonplace.

The community gardens are not like other Brazilian agriculture and don’t use artificial fertilizers.

Many of these people have little hope for their future. In daily life, there is a lack of basic necessities: regulated sewage disposal, garbage collection, healthy food and professional opportunities.

The Manguinhos vegetable farm is part of a larger initiative by the city government, which now includes 50 community gardens. The gardens offer employment and affordable food to a variety of deprived neighborhoods.

Bianca Kapsch Film

Insects on the Menu

Locust lunch

With the world’s population growing and the supply of land under threat, around a third the world’s arable lands have been lost in the past 40 years. This is putting pressure on the world’s food supply. There is also the impact that meat production has on the environment. Many believe insects like the locust that was eaten here in Tokyo with an egg from a man are a credible alternative.

Insects on the Menu

Caterpillars in Congo

Entomophagy describes the human use and consumption of insects for food. Since prehistoric times, humans have eaten insects. Today, almost all of the world’s culinary cultures include some form of insect eating. The restaurant in Kinshasa, DR Congo is where you can see a person eating grilled caterpillars with olive oils. The food is affordable, but rich in protein.

Insects on the Menu

Making a meal from it

Despite its worldwide popularity, there are many areas, especially in North America and Europe, where insect-eating remains a rare practice and is protected with caution. There are signs that it is becoming more popular, thanks to environmentalists promoting insects as a sustainable food source. This image shows a signature cricket dish by Nowshad Alam Rasel, a Sydney chef.

Insects on the Menu

Crawlies are creeping onto menus

But what is so sustainable about farming insects? Insect farming is much more sustainable than livestock farming and requires less land and water. It also emits a lower amount of greenhouse gases. Insects don’t require much feed and can even be used as sustainable food for fish and animals. They are increasingly being used in high-end Thai cuisine, where winged ants are paired with fish.

Insects on the Menu

What is an alternative to palm oil?

Biteback, an Indonesian start up, promotes insects as a healthy, sustainable, and nutrient-rich alternative to palm oil. Palm oil is often criticized for its negative environmental effects, especially in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations. The founders are seen here making insect ramen. They emphasize that insects are nutritious, high in fatty acids, protein, and rich in minerals.

Insects on the Menu

Worm lollipop

Global demand for meat will increase by more than 75% by 2050. As such, there will be more demand for credible protein options in the coming years due to the increasing amount of farm land and animal feed required. Entomophagists are proud of the flexibility that insects offer in terms of their culinary skills, as shown in the cricket and worm lollipops pictured below.

Insects on the Menu

To eat or not eat honey

Although insect-eating is a major part of the future of food, more research is needed in this sector. Unusual meals like this cake made from roasted bees are being tested to please different palates. However, given the global pressure on bee populations, it may be necessary to come up with more practical insect-based meals.

Arthur Sullivan is the author