Remember some of those stories in the Old Testament, in which "plagues of locusts" descended on farmer's fields, devouring the crops and causing famine in the land?

Apparently, something similar happened in what is now the Salt Lake Valley in Utah back around 1848. Just as the new settlers were getting their crops in, huge swarms of crickets arrived and started eating it all up. Eventually, a swarm of seagulls swooped down and made short work of those crickets, saving the crops (and earning a place as Utah's official State Bird).

It didn't occur to those hardy pioneers to simply make a meal of their locusts. But in fact, this is exactly what happens in many cultures. I've been talking a lot here about how we are going to feed a rapidly-growing population in a time when more and more arable land is being lost. Sure, technology and better use of resources can help alleviate the problem – and as women become more educated and start asserting more control over their bodies, we may see a slowdown in population growth.

Nonetheless, given the uncertainty of the world’s food supply, it's a good idea to keep all options on the table (literally). And that includes eating bugs.

According to a Dutch entomologist, Dr. Arnold van Huis, there are some 1,400 insect species on the planet that actually make fine eating. He points out that in many parts of the developing world, "...people don’t eat caterpillars, beetle larvae, grasshoppers and termites because they don’t have a choice but because they taste good.” He adds that "insects are high in protein and have essential fatty acids and important vitamins."

The fact is that even though it is known to be an inefficient way to produce food, almost 7 out of every ten acres on the planet is currently used to raise meat – and folks are still chowing down on hamburger and steak like there was no mañana. At current population trends, this is not sustainable. In addition, the methane produced by livestock is a major cause of global climate change ("warming" is a bit of a misnomer as folks in the eastern U.S. are discovering this winter).

Dr. Van Huis, who is a great promoter of insect-based cuisine, points out that "insects have a much lower environmental burden, while their nutritional value measures up to chicken or beef."

How does this impact farmers? Well, farmers produce food – and if we start taking advantage of insect efficiency to produce cheaper proteins and fats, the odds are good that it’ll be farmers in the vanguard! The irony is that for the all of the thousands of years of farming history, insects have been farmers’ Enemy Number One – and now they may become another cash crop. Insecticulture has a proud history in human society (think silkworms and caterpillars and bumblebees) but their use for direct food production will be something new, and this may prove a lucrative – if weird – line of business for ambitious young farmers.