Cortni Borgerson featured in Grist’s “Cicadas à la carte? Why it’s so hard to get Americans to eat bugs.”

Climate-focused media organization Grist features Cortni Borgerson, associate professor of Anthropology, in its recent article “Cicadas à la carte? Why it’s so hard to get Americans to eat bugs.” With the help of Dr. Borgerson, Grist explores the preconceptions surrounding eating insects in the United States and counters it with the nutritional benefits of doing so.

About 30 percent of people globally eat insects in some way. Despite that this dietary practice traces back a thousand years and has an abundance of nutritional benefits, it is considered a foreign and even “uncivilized” concept.

Dr. Borgerson’s research explores the relationship between humans and unsustainable hunting, human health, and food security. With Grist, she destigmatizes the idea of eating insects, even comparing the taste of cicadas to a delightful blend between chicken nuggets and sunflower seeds.

According to Dr. Borgerson, “Some insects have an incredible opportunity, and a potential, to reduce our carbon footprint in a delicious, but sustainable, way.”

Read “Cicadas à la carte? Why it’s so hard to get Americans to eat bugs.”

Written by Sarah Ramirez