With climate change becoming more and more of a hot issue these days, ecologically-conscious citizens are always on the lookout for ways ordinary people can relieve the environmental burden that the food industry puts on the planet.

Eating less meat is one of the latest ideas to gain traction, but scientists have been telling us for years that’s there’s a protein-rich solution right in front of us, scurrying around under rocks and in the ground. That is of course, insects.

While many remain squeamish about the idea, in some countries bugs are a completely normal and accepted foodstuff, with undeniable nutritional benefits.

Japanese minimalist-style store Muji is popular in many parts of the world, and they hope to use their influence as a trendy and well-loved brand to normalise eating insects with their latest snack which should hit the shelves in spring 2020...

Cricket crackers. That is to say, crackers made out of crickets.

In their campaign, Muji asks the question, will crickets save the world? Crickets are well known for their chirpy musical stylings, but hopefully thanks to Muji, they may become more famous for the wealth of benefits they offer as a healthy snack, and as a way to address environmental issues.

For one, the amount of nutrients they contain, including protein, calcium and iron, make them a particularly nutritionally efficient food.

Also, compared to farm animals, the environmental effects of rearing crickets are overwhelmingly small.

On top of this, the breeding of crickets is incredibly efficient. Since they mature faster than most other insects and will eat pretty much anything, they are easy to farm and ensure the steady production of cricket-made products. Feeding crickets could also be one way to solve food waste.

Even if the idea still creeps you out, it’s not like a deceased cricket will just be staring you in the face when you open the wrapper. The crackers will be manufactured from powdered crickets and most likely look just like any other snack.

Although skeptics will probably still take some convincing, it’s heartening to see big companies experiment with ways to lower our carbon footprints and maybe like Muji say, something as small as a cricket could help save our planet!