In Episode 23, Founder of LIVIN Farms, Katharina Unger speaks to me about why insects are a sustainable protein source,  what it will take to convince more consumers to try eating insects and the best tasting insect she’s tried! LIVIN Farms’ contributes to a more sustainable food system by making insect proteins readily available, both for consumption and industrial uses.

Here is a summary of our conversation

📐What is Social Impact Design?

🥣 Why the current system of animal feed is unsustainable

🐜How can you grow insects with the LIVIN Farms ‘Hive’?

🧹How can insects contribute to waste management?

⭐️Why insects are a very sustainable protein source

Follow @livinfarms or head to their website: https://www.livinfarms.com/

Katharina’s Book Recommendation: Factfulness

A business that Katharina thinks is Up to Some Good: Kern Tec

*Timestamps:

2:00 Passion for social impact

4:43 Living in HK lead to curiosity about the food system

6:03 The appeal of social impact design

8:27 Why the current system of animal feed is unsustainable

11:39 Finding the sweet spot to add value as an industrial designer

13:15 Our experience eating insects

15:12 The average person consumes 500 insects yearly, but how?

16:04 How can you grow insects with the LIVIN Farms ‘Hive’?

19:36 Why using insects as a waste management solution is a win win scenario

24:40 Are there health benefits to consuming insects instead of other proteins?

26:19 Why insects are a very sustainable protein source

29:49 What will it take to convince more people to start eating insects

32:22 How using insects as fishmeal can help to preserve the world’s fish stocks

35:07 Learning and relearning to develop new products

44:25 Using design to solve a climate related challenge for the Masaai Community