Get your bug protein on.

 The Newest (and Crunchiest) Solution to the World’s Protein Problems

Let’s face it: as the world gets more crowded and more prosperous, everyone’s developing a bigger appetite. Meat consumption is skyrocketing, but the traditional buffet of soy and fishmeal feeds isn’t going to cut it forever. Enter the heroes of our story: bugs. Yes, those tiny critters you swatted away from your picnic last summer might just be the future of feed.

Take a trip to British Columbia, where Enterra Feed is turning black soldier fly larvae into the next big thing in animal nutrition. These little wrigglers are living the dream, munching on heaps of discarded fruits and veggies, and transforming them into high-protein feed for fish, poultry, and even Fido’s dinner.

Heavyweights like Cargill and Wilbur-Ellis are already buzzing around, investing in this buggy banquet. And why not? Insects are resource-efficient little critters, needing far less land and water than your average cow or pig and producing a fraction of the greenhouse gases.

Of course, there are a few flies in the ointment, so to speak. Convincing regulators and the public that bugs are a buffet and not a bother is an uphill battle. And let’s not forget the ‘yuck factor’—the idea of munching on insects, even indirectly, might make some stomachs churn.

But as the industry grows and the benefits become harder to ignore, those creepy-crawlies might just crawl their way into our food system and our hearts. So next time you swat a fly, think twice—it might just be your next meal’s meal.

Read more in Business Insider.