AUSTIN, TX (May 16, 2016) – Little Herds, an edible insect nonprofit, based in Austin, Texas, is proud to announce the formation and meeting of the U.S’s first edible insect trade organization, North American Edible Insects Coalition, NAEIC. “We are excited that the NAEIC will be meeting for the first time at Eating Insects Detroit, at the U.S.’s first edible insect conference, held at Wayne State University in Detroit, May 26-28″ stated Robert Nathan Allen, Founder of Little Herds.
Eating Insects Detroit, May 26-28, is an international conference focuses exclusively the topic of insects as food and feed. Organizer, Julie Lesnik an Assistant Professor at Wayne State and Little Herds Board of Directors member, said “Especially now, there is great opportunity to engage the public in discussions about edible insects’ potential for sustainability and food security.” The new trade organization, North American Edible Insects Coalition, includes edible insect companies that have jumped successfully into the mainstream. Those companies include Chapul Energy Bars, which hit the shelves at Publix and Sprouts Farmers Market in 2016 and Chirps, a high-protein cricket chip, which have launched at Disneyland cafeterias, spring of 2016.
“We are forming the North American Edible Insects Coalition trade organization because the ‘OMG, eating bugs!’ phase is done and most consumers have heard of consuming crickets as an alternative protein. The edible insect industry is now in the consumer mainstream with entry to grocery stores like Publix and retail outlets such as Disneyland. These mission-based edible insect companies are excited to support each. Our goal is that soon the average U.S. consumer will enjoy cricket tacos and easily as we now enjoy a sushi roll,” concluded Robert Nathan Allen, Founder of Little Herds.
Little Herds educates and empowers local and global communities to use insects for food and feed. Internationally, Little Herds is partnering with nonprofits, Farms for Orphans and Entomo Farms to build cricket farms in orphanages in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the U.S., Little Herds is working on a Black Soldier Fly Larvae Up-cycling Pilot Project in Austin, Texas. To help put these ideas into action, Little Herds is launching an online crowdfunding campaign via BarnRasier. To learn more about Little Herds and to donate to the Little Herd’s BarnRaiser Campaign, visit http://www.littleherds.org