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Problem to plate: Could eating invasive species be a sustainability game changer?
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Reports show invasive species have cost North America $1.26 trillion in the last 60 years, crowding out native species and damaging agriculture production. Could the solution be to harvest these pesky plants and animals?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center estimates invasive species cost Americans at least $26 billion a year due to their impact on local environments and economies. Species like the green crab along the North Atlantic Coast and copi — formerly known as Asian carp — in the Mississippi River can push out local species entirely, wreaking havoc on commercial fishery operations.
While there are many costly solutions to the problem, another effort is being made to live with the animals by putting them on people’s dinner plates. The idea, known as invasivorism, refers to eating invasive species to help control their havoc-wreaking populations.
Chefs worldwide have started looking to invasive species as sustainable, and even beneficial, ingredients. Still, the movement has struggled to gain traction in part due to consumer concerns over taste and environmental impact.
Image Courtesy of Ryan Hagerty - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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