Insects Aren't a Sustainable Food Option, Study Shows Insects have long been promoted as a more eco-friendly protein alternative to meat. Insects can eat anything, including waste, and they have a lower carbon footprint. But a study from PLOS ONE reveals that insects may not yield a much better protein conversion rate
than chicken. In the study, crickets raised on pure waste died before it was time to harvest them. Crickets thrived best on a grain-based diet, similar to what chickens eat. Their protein conversion rate was 35%, not much better than chickens. Dr. Mark Lundy, Study author, via Time