According to projections by the United Nations, our current food system won’t adequately sustain the 9 billion people expected to be living on Earth by 2050. Protein, the most resource-intensive ingredient in food, will be especially hard to produce.
St. Louis resident Sarah Schlafly is keenly aware of that fact. That’s why she started Mighty Cricket, a startup that produces food products including powdered, roasted crickets.
Crickets are a protein source comparable to animal protein. They can also be farmed in small spaces within an urban setting. Schlafly predicts that this food source will become quite affordable roughly 30 years from now, right around when animal protein will likely be more expensive and harder to come by.
In order to get St. Louisans more comfortable with the idea of eating insects, Schlafly launched the Mighty Cricket Challenge, calling on local businesses to offer her product in one of their October menu items. Nearly 40 restaurants are participating, with chefs mixing Schlafly’s cricket powder into everything from sauces to ice cream.
Sarah Fenske talked with Schlafly about her work and this month’s campaign on Friday's St. Louis on the Air.
Related Event
What: The Mighty Cricket Challenge
When: The month of October
Where: At participating restaurants and eateries
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill, Lara Hamdan, Alexis Moore and Tonina Saputo. The engineer is Aaron Doerr, and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.
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