Sure, we think our protein dog food alternative is pretty awesome, but we also know that not everyone has ever considered feeding insects to their pets, let alone eating insect protein themselves.

Although in Asia and other eastern parts of the world insects have been considered a delicacy for thousands of years. The minimal environmental costs of insect farming make them an ideal meat substitute. Not just for us, but for our furry friends too!

The history of insects as food

We've actually been eating bugs for around ten thousand years. Nowadays it is commonly known as “entoveganism.”

Ancient people collected and ate insects to supplement the meat they hunted. Beetles were later considered a delicacy in ancient Rome, where they were raised on flour and wine and eaten by Roman nobility.

Insects continue to be a large part of the human diet in modern times, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In these areas, insects ranging from maggots to dragonflies are sold everywhere from supermarkets to restaurants and by street vendors. They are quick and easy to prepare, inexpensive and delicious.

Insects are not that popular in the West. Some historians believe that beetles fell out of favor in the United States and Europe because they were viewed as crop-eating pests, and as we became more invested in agriculture, this became a cultural belief.

What are the environmental benefits of insect nutrition?

Raising animals for food is fundamentally harmful to the environment.

Cattle and cows, for example, require large amounts of land and water to raise them, which means less water and space for other things like forests and habitat. Growing them also produces an immense amount of carbon, a greenhouse gas that is released into the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

Let's compare 1kg of beef with 1kg of insects: Due to the skeletal structure of a beef, only around 40% can be used, for insects 80% (e.g. crickets) up to 100% (our soldier fly larvae). Insects can currently be bred from egg to harvestable larva within 5-10 days. Cattle produce 100x more methane and other greenhouse gases, use 15,000 times more water to raise them and 15 times more feed. And all of this on far more land area. Unlike in cattle, insects can be bred vertically instead of horizontally. That means producing 1kg of raw insect protein from the Hermetia illucens fly requires 92% less space, 99% less water and produces 99% less carbon than producing the same amount of beef. The larvae do not require fertilizer or pesticides and produce far fewer emissions than cows.

Aside from the resource-saving benefits, we can address the moral concerns many have about eating meat like beef, chicken and pork.

Factory farming?

None. It has been proven that insects love to live in crowds. Overall, with essentially the same nutritional value, insects are a far more environmentally friendly and ethical source of protein than beef. However, we know that making the jump to insects for dinner is a big change that most of us probably aren't ready to make yet - but what about your dog?

The dog food of the future

The dog likes it! In fact, they may even prefer it to traditional meat. We've found that even picky dogs have started eating BugBell because it's a whole different flavor.

We have combined the natural benefits of insect protein with plant-based components full of vitamins, minerals and everything a healthy dog ​​needs to live. This makes insect protein an excellent alternative to environmentally harmful meat.

Along with cats, dogs are by far the most popular pets in Germany. Now, for the first time, Berlin scientists have created a life cycle assessment for a dog's entire life cycle - from animal feed to excrement.

The raw materials for the feed and the resources for its production as well as the resources for packaging the feed and its transport were included in the calculations.

So with our sustainable raw materials and packaging you can limit the impact on the environment without restricting your dog or harming his health.