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Anand S, Hallsworth JE, Timmis J, Verstraete W, Casadevall A, Ramos JL, Sood U, Kumar R, Hira P, Dogra Rawat C, Kumar A, Lal S, Lal R, Timmis K. Weaponising microbes for peace. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1091-1111. [PMID: 36880421 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is much human disadvantage and unmet need in the world, including deficits in basic resources and services considered to be human rights, such as drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, healthy nutrition, access to basic healthcare, and a clean environment. Furthermore, there are substantive asymmetries in the distribution of key resources among peoples. These deficits and asymmetries can lead to local and regional crises among peoples competing for limited resources, which, in turn, can become sources of discontent and conflict. Such conflicts have the potential to escalate into regional wars and even lead to global instability. Ergo: in addition to moral and ethical imperatives to level up, to ensure that all peoples have basic resources and services essential for healthy living and to reduce inequalities, all nations have a self-interest to pursue with determination all available avenues to promote peace through reducing sources of conflicts in the world. Microorganisms and pertinent microbial technologies have unique and exceptional abilities to provide, or contribute to the provision of, basic resources and services that are lacking in many parts of the world, and thereby address key deficits that might constitute sources of conflict. However, the deployment of such technologies to this end is seriously underexploited. Here, we highlight some of the key available and emerging technologies that demand greater consideration and exploitation in endeavours to eliminate unnecessary deprivations, enable healthy lives of all and remove preventable grounds for competition over limited resources that can escalate into conflicts in the world. We exhort central actors: microbiologists, funding agencies and philanthropic organisations, politicians worldwide and international governmental and non-governmental organisations, to engage - in full partnership - with all relevant stakeholders, to 'weaponise' microbes and microbial technologies to fight resource deficits and asymmetries, in particular among the most vulnerable populations, and thereby create humanitarian conditions more conducive to harmony and peace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailly Anand
- Department of Zoology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - James Timmis
- Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willy Verstraete
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Utkarsh Sood
- Department of Zoology, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Roshan Kumar
- Post-Graduate Department of Zoology, Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Princy Hira
- Department of Zoology, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Charu Dogra Rawat
- Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhilash Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sukanya Lal
- PhiXgen Pvt. Ltd, Gurugram, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Rup Lal
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, Govindpuri, Kalkaji, New Delhi, India
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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Yellow Mealworm and Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Feed and Food Production in Europe, with Emphasis on Iceland. Foods 2021; 10:foods10112744. [PMID: 34829029 PMCID: PMC8625742 DOI: 10.3390/foods10112744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects are part of the diet of over 2 billion people worldwide; however, insects have not been popular in Europe, neither as food nor as a feed ingredient. This has been changing in recent years, due to increased knowledge regarding the nutritional benefits, the need for novel protein production and the low environmental impact of insects compared to conventional protein production. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of the most popular insects farmed in Europe, yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, and black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, together with the main obstacles and risks. A comprehensive literature study was carried out and 27 insect farming companies found listed in Europe were contacted directly. The results show that the insect farming industry is increasing in Europe, and the success of the frontrunners is based on large investments in technology, automation and economy of scale. The interest of venture capital firms is noticeable, covering 90% of the investment costs in some cases. It is concluded that insect farming in Europe is likely to expand rapidly in the coming years, offering new proteins and other valuable products, not only as a feed ingredient, but also for human consumption. European regulations have additionally been rapidly changing, with more freedom towards insects as food and feed. There is an increased knowledge regarding safety concerns of edible insects, and the results indicate that edible insects pose a smaller risk for zoonotic diseases than livestock. However, knowledge regarding risk posed by edible insects is still lacking, but food and feed safety is essential to put products on the European market.
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