Entomophagy Anthropology
JULIE LESNIK
Assistant Professor
Dept of Anthropology
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
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Huffington Post and Entomophagy Anthropology

5/6/2015

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Culture and cultural history are so important.  For instance take the case of crickets. Trying to promote crickets as food in the United States comes with all sorts of psychological barriers, mostly those that trigger disgust.  However, if you think about trying to do the same in China, a country where insects are consumed regularly, especially in southern provinces, the cricket is a symbol of luck, and with that comes an entirely different set of mechanisms that would suggest they be avoided as food.  

These different cultural conceptions of food are why I really want anthropologists to get more involved with entomophagy.  I am currently working hard to put together a proposal to bring anthropologists with interest in insects as food from around the world together to engage is some deep theoretical debates about why people make the food choices they do.  If I am able to get this workshop funded, then maybe these anthropologists will consider sharing their work at the Eating Innovation Conference in May of 2016.
I was interviewed for this piece that came out in Huffington Post today.  I was very happy with the quotes the reporter chose because I feel it is the best reflection of the importance anthropology that I have seen in entomophagy media.  My personal research is related to human evolution, so when I think about why we are not keen to eat insects in the US and Canada, I think about the fact that the majority of the continent was covered in ice when people first arrived here tens of thousands of years ago.  This concept is reflected in the article, and it is the aspect about my work that tends to capture people's attention the most.  However, I was excited when the reporter asked me about cultures around the world that have already accomplished what we are trying to accomplish here with the entomophagy movement.  
As such, attempting to compare munching down on fried scorpions in Thailand to the same practice taking hold in the United States is like comparing apples to oranges, or, aphids to roseslugs. As Lesnik argues, there is no example of a people group who overwhelmingly stopped or drastically cut back on eating an affordable, readily available protein (such as beef) in favor of a more expensive, less available one (such as crickets).
“It doesn’t exist,” Lesnik noted. “What exists is people eating insects as a primary or major source of protein over an entire culture’s history. When you look at these populations, there’s no analogue to what we’re trying to do up here.”

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Where are all the Anthropologists?

4/8/2015

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As an anthropologist planning a conference, most the grants for which I can apply are in anthropology.  However, these conference and workshop grants or designed to help anthropologists come together, despite an organization's emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration.  So I am trying to put together a group of international anthropologists to come together for a workshop on insects as food.  The plan is that it will be the day after the Eating Innovation conference so that we have lots of fodder for discussion.  However, I am having a hard time finding anthropologists!

Many scholars write about the eating of insects by humans and even use the term "anthropo-entomophagy," most notably J. Ramos-Elorduy in the journal Entomological Research, and most recently E.M. Costa-Neto in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed.  However, there is a great difference between 'anthropo-entomophagy' and 'entomophagy anthropology' and I am searching for people out there who understand that difference.  

So please, if you are an anthropologist (or a social scientist in general) outside of the US who studies insects as food (or studies food more broadly and is interested in investigating entomophagy), get into contact with me!  I want to work with you to come up with money to bring you here to Detroit for the 2016 conference next May!





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Cricket flour bake-off panel of judges

4/1/2015

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The cricket flour bake off is around the corner!  April 7th will be here so soon!  I am thrilled at the panel of judges that are coming together for this event.  We seriously have superstars from Detroit's food community as well as WSU powerhouses joining us.  I felt the best way to convey how starstruck they make me was to put together this poster:
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So a little bit more about our judges:

Jordi Carbonell
Carbonell is the founder and owner of  Café Con Leche coffee shop in the Southwest neighborhood of Detroit.  Carbonell aims to bring together different cultures - be it Spanish coffee to Detroit or coffee shop culture to the Southwest - and Café Con Leche is doing an excellent job in achieving this goal.  We are honored to have this multicultural perspective represented in our cricket flour bake-off.  As anthropologists we know food has so much social and cultural significance, and it is great to have an entrepreneur join us who has been so successful who is actualizing this in his business.

Dave Mancini
Detroiters likely recognize Mancini by name, but if not, they are sure to recognize Supino Pizzeria in Eastern Market.  The small shop with thin crust pizzas inspired by Italy is a breath of fresh air in a city where chains for thick crust pizzas are born.   The biggest buzz around Mancini right now is that he will be opening a full-menu Italian restaurant, La Rondinella.  Maybe this summer?  We all can't wait.  Maybe he will consider a desert incorporating nectar-filled ingluvies like those eaten in traditional Northeast Italy.  We are excited to hear what he has to say about the potential of insects as food.

Tracie McMillan
McMillan is the award-winning author of the book The American Way of Eating, a contributing journalist to news sources such as NPR, Slate, and National Geographic to name a few, as well as an active blogger on her popular website traciemcmillan.com. Her list of awards and achievements are extensive and we in Michigan are proud to call her one of our own.   McMillan works to address the inequalities of our food system and hunger in America.  Her perspective is going to be invaluable at our event as we think about who can benefit from insects as food.

Molly O'Meara
O'Meara is a freelance graphic designer turned specialty preserves entrepreneur with her business Beau Bien Fine Foods.  O'Meara incorporates sweet and savory flavors from herbs, spices, peppers and flowers to create new combinations of flavors that please the palate.  Additionally, she designs all of the company's beautiful packaging and promotional materials.  This intersection of taste and presentation is definitely something we think a lot about in entomophagy, and we are lucky to have her input at our event.

Wayne Raskind
Raskind is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  The. Dean.  When I first started my job at Wayne State I raved about how supported and included I immediately felt, and Dean Raskind's participation in our event speaks volumes to this.  With an event like this, it will be easy to get swept up in the fun and the tastings, but Raskind's presence will help us remember that we are here for a larger purpose; to explore the anthropology and apply what we do as academics to something even greater.  

Jessica Robbins-Ruszkowski
With Robbins-Ruszkowski as a judge, we officially have one third of the faculty of the Department of Anthropology actively participating of this event (in addition to myself, Todd Meyers, and Yuson Jung).  I view Robbins-Ruszkowski as the glue of the judging panel.  Her expertise in sociocultural anthropology and focus on individual experience within broader contexts of culture, history, politics, etc., lends itself to great discussions about American perceptions of insects as food.  

Starlett Simmons
Simmons, founder and owner of Five Star Cakes,  comes to us from FoodLab Detroit, one of our community partners for this event.  Foodlab helps individuals grow and experiment with their food start-ups so that they can cultivate a successful business rooted in the Detroit community.  Five Star Cakes is an excellent example of the Detroit entrepreneurial spirit.  Simmons not only knows her baked goods, but she knows what it takes to turn specialty products into a thriving business model.  We are lucky to have her input as we try to create delectable baked goods using cricket flour.

Many thanks to all of our judges.  We couldn't do this without you!
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Cricket bake-off Flyer #2

3/31/2015

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Q & A with Dr. L

3/30/2015

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Back in December, I had the chance to participate in an online discussion about insects as food.  It was an international collaboration of people interested in the subject posing questions and offering suggestions.   There was much being said about marketing and business potential, which was super exciting!  However, I created a thread where people could ask me questions related to my expertise in the evolution of the human diet.  I also chimed in about issues in the developing world.  I have culled my responses and put them below in a Q&A format.


What do you think we can learn from studying how our ancestors consumed diets?

 
First off, the majority of human evolution took place in tropical regions. Our lineage was in Africa for millions of years. We have only been up in Europe for 150,000 or so. Our dependence on meat and milk, something that we needed to do in order to survive in cold, glaciated areas, is a very recent development. Prior to this, animal protein was a supplement to a vegetarian based diet. 
 
So, if you think of hunter-gatherers/foragers in the tropics, nothing is available in abundance for very long (spatial and temporal variability in resources). Yet, we have created a system where the rarest/riskiest resource - meat - is consumed multiple times a time, every day of the year. It should be no wonder that it is not sustainable! 
 
Social insects such as termites and ants, were always a more reliable source of animal protein in the tropics. While men might preoccupy themselves with hunting, it is women who tend to gather these reliable insects, which makes sense, since women are the ones who need to make sure their nutritional requirements are met as they are often "eating for two." If women couldn't successfully have healthy babies, none of us would be here! 
 
Anyways, I think a better understanding of the *real* paleo diet highlights the importance of insects. The "cave-man diet" trend is Euro-centric and an excuse to eat bacon! But I do think it shows that the public is interested in making informed decisions about food. Unfortunately the info they are given is often crap. 
 

 Do you study any regions in particular?
I work more in a time period (4 million to 10,000 years ago) than a region, although this period clearly takes place mostly in Africa. I use modern foraging populations around the world in order to create my models for what was going on back then.


What do you think has triggered the emergence of the Paleo diet and the kind of 'looking-back' to the way our ancestors used to eat that it encourages (albeit perhaps not in the most informed ways in most cases!)? Is it concerns with particular environmental issues, or maybe human health? 

I believe interest in the "Paleo Diet" goes hand-in-hand with the current stigma on gluten. Many people diagnosed with Celiac's were sick for so long and no one could figure it out. Now people are getting the help they need. This legitimate allergy to gluten is due to not being able to digest our modern grain-based diets, so people interested in going gluten free started to look at what people were eating pre-agriculture. "Gluten free" then exploded in popularity as people began "detoxing" and documenting "sensitivities," (all B.S., by the way - most documented sensitivities are not to the gluten protein but to chemicals in the growing or processing of the product). 


Do you think promoting insects as part of a Paleo Diet is a good idea? A concern could be that instead of fully embracing the way our ancestors actually ate meat like you describe (i.e. sporadically), consumers will continue to consume the same amount of meat, whether that be completely from insects or a mixture of insects and traditional livestock? 

I honestly do not know how I feel about promoting insects as part of the Paleo Diet. On one hand, I HATE the Paleo Diet.. I critique that it is Euro-centric and that it is Atkins reimagined, using false testimony from my scientific field in order to market it. However, I believe educated individuals can make more informed choices, and I want people to have a better understanding of human evolution, so if insects can be marketed as part of the "real" paleo diet, then maybe I shouldn't be so reluctant. The problem is that the "real" paleo diet did not include a lot of animal protein, so that does not help promote insects as much as it should help people to reduce their reliance on meat.


What type of edible insect products are likely to be most suitable for the 'developing world' and which ones are less likely to take off in poor countries?' Please share your experiences and thoughts for the future.

I really think the potential for insects in developing countries lies in small household farms. The issue of food security is so much less about there not being enough food and more about people being too poor to get it. I think small insect farms could be an amazing way people can provide protein to their families. I think what needs to be demonstrated, though, is how these live insects can be turned into delicious "foods;" foods that are recognized in one's own culture, so this is going to be different everywhere you go. I am working my hardest to get more anthropologists thinking about the subject because it is people who study these cultures that can provide the insight necessary. As projects start targeting communities, if I am asked, I can try to find anthropologists working in the region who might be able/willing to help. I truly believe they hold the key to the success of this movement in these areas.
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Cricket bake-off Flyer #1

3/30/2015

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I'm planning a conference!

3/3/2015

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I know you know, but now there are official dates and now it is taking over my life, so I feel like there should be a blog here dedicated to it!

On May 26-28, 2016, a little more than a year from now, I will be hosting the Eating Innovation Detroit conference dedicated to exploring the culture of insects as food and feed.  Daily programming will occur on Wayne State University’s campus, and nightly events will happen across the city.  
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What have I accomplished so far?
  • Dates are confirmed
  • Space on campus is reserved
  • I have an active website, Facebook page, and twitter account
  • I have two grant proposals in the works to be submitted this summer that, if funded, will allow me to fund travel for international scholars from developing countries
  • I have created different sponsorship levels that I will use to fundraise from university departments and other organizations
  • I am working to secure a keynote speaker that I am pretty excited about but can't say anything yet
  • Anthropology students are participating in a cricket flour back-off on April 7th of this year, which is helping me to build some relationships around the city, including Detroit FoodLab and Detroit Farm and Garden.  I am confident that we will do something cool together for 2016 as well
  • I've been brainstorming a lot of program ideas including poster sessions, panel discussions, organized symposia, and maybe even pecha kucha


There is much still to do, like reserving a block of rooms at a hotel and figuring out shuttles and other transportation options, but it's coming along.  I will keep everyone updated here on the blog about how it's all going!  

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Ask an entomologist asks a Biological Anthropologist

2/13/2015

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Last week, I was visiting the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia.  I was honored to have been invited to participate in their graduate seminar speaker series.  I had a blast spending a couple of days talking about bugs! 

In addition to giving my talk on entomophagy and evolution and the general discussions I had with faculty and students, I was interviewed by Nancy Miorelli of "Ask an Entomologist."  This blog and its corresponding social media presence are amazingly well-read!  I am very impressed by what Nancy and her collaborator are up to.  I was honored that they dedicated a week to "entomophagy" and included not only my interview, but also a rundown of my seminar talk.  Make sure to go check it out!

Additionally, Nancy drew this amazing picture of me pondering the role of insects in the diet over the course of human evolution.  This is my new favorite thing ever! 
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So check out 
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More to me than Bugs

1/22/2015

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You likely saw the below picture when I shared it on Facebook or Twitter back in October..
I had only been at Wayne State for a short while when I met someone in marketing and communications at CLAS (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences).  They were immediately interested in my work on edible insects, which made me someone to keep in mind when it comes to promoting the work of WSU faculty.

A short while later I received a mock-up of the below image, with a fake quote "eating bugs is cool!" It absolutely cracked me up.  I would post it here, but I don't really want my image with that fake quote out on the interwebs because it does make me sound a ridiculous out of context.  However, I was given a questionnaire so that they could pull a real quote from me.  Questions were things like:  Why anthropology?  Why entomophagy?  What was your favorite book?  What did you want to be when you grow up?  When did you know you wanted to be an academic? etc.

I gave many quote-worthy entomophagy statements, but I was taken aback when they decided to use a statement about teaching instead. 

All of the interest in entomophagy lately has been a bit of a whirlwind.  I have been studying insects in the human diet for almost a decade now, but it has only been in the most recent years that the world is starting to really care.  I consider myself lucky in terms of my favorite definition of the word - preparation meets opportunity.  All of a sudden the opportunity is there for my work to be of public interest.  I am amazed by all the momentum I currently have, but it took this CLAS promotional material to remind me that I have been preparing for this for a very long time.  I am a teacher first and foremost.  It is what I love and what I have wanted to do my entire adult life.  It meant a lot to me that CLAS found this fact just as interesting or important as my trendy research topic.

"#FacultyFacts highlight CLAS profs inspiring @waynestate students in and out of the classroom.  Meet @JulieLesnik"


I am truly proud to be a Wayne State Warrior.




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ConFusion on January 17!

1/9/2015

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ConFusion is a local/regional science fiction convention based in the Metro Detroit area, this year being held at the DoubleTree in Dearborn January 16-18.  In addition to programming about sci-fi books/movies/etc, the annual convention makes sure to highlight scientists as well.  This year I have been asked to participate in the scientific programming!  I am very excited because the scientists represented at these sorts of events tend to fall in line more with physics and astronomy than they do anthropology!  But one thing is for sure, sci-fi people are forward thinkers, and I hope to drum up some interest in the future of insect-based foods.

I will be participating in a panel called "Bugs, Magic and Protein" at 1:00 on Saturday January 17th.  In addition to discussing my research in paleoanthropology, I will be highlighting the research presented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on the benefits of insects as foods.  One thing I will be presenting are the amazing info-graphics created by the Austin-bsed nonprofit, Little Herds.  These images capture the striking amount of resources our traditional livestock use to produce just one kilogram of food.  Below is the one that startles me the most.  Fresh water is a very limited resource.  People love to blow through it like it is infinite; watering "lawns" in Nevada and taking hour-long showers.  I always say that wars will be fought over water one day just as they are fought now over oil.  It takes so little water to raise crickets as feed.
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Also very exciting is that I will be bringing Hopper Bars, cricket-flour based protein bars, to the Con for people to try!  You may have heard of them from their successful $30,000 Kickstarter campaign.  I am working with them to bring bite-size samples for people to try.  The Hopper mission:
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"Hopper Food's mission is to help normalise entomophagy (eating insects) by creating great tasting, nutritious and healthy products that people will want to eat every day. We believe this is important because insects are a sustainable source of high quality protein which we need to capitalize on if we are to feed our growing population. In addition insects are a delicacy which are highly prized in the native cuisines of many cultures. We want to introduce this to a wider audience at home. Our first offering, the Hopper Bar, is an all natural energy bar which is perfect for anyone with an active lifestyle who is conscious of what they put in their body and where it came from."

I am honored to have been embraced by the "entomophagy community."  We are a small, but growing group.  It is exemplary of the community that I can just reach out and then receive the resources I need to put together an amazing presentation.  We are all working toward a common goal, whether we are academics, business owners, or just socially engaged members of society, and that is to bring awareness to insects as a sustainable food source that should be cultivated at greater scales in order to create a better tomorrow.

So if you are a geek in metro-Detroit, I suggest you check out ConFusion.  It's going to be an amazing couple of days and it just so happens that I will be there talking about eating bugs.
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    Julie Lesnik received her PhD studying the role of termites in the diet of fossil hominins and has since started exploring insects as food more broadly.

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