How can we feed the world – on a planet with finite resources and a growing number of people? Moreover, more of those people are eating more meat and fish – and those animals in turn need feeding, and protein, to grow. At the moment, soy and fishmeal are the main sources of protein for animal feed – but the demand for soy has been linked to deforestation in South America, while the fishmeal trade helps drive over-fishing in the oceans. So now manufacturers are looking for alternative sources of protein. The use of insects has been permitted in fish feed for years, but the European Union recently decided to allow them in poultry and pig feed too. I visited the largest mealworm farm in France where the animals they raise might be tiny, but the plans and the ambition are very big indeed. Listen to the story here.

Broadcast on From Our Own Correspondent, BBC Radio 4 on 7 October 2021.