Environmental change has been a global concern for the last decade. Of all the industries adversely impacting the environment, the food industry is a major contributor. The greenhouse emission from agricultural lands, food processing plants, and retail, and the carbon footprints from on-farm production are gradually polluting the environment.
A look at the Global Hunger Index of 2021 can be a wake-up call to the world because it shows over 800 million people globally are undernourished. This further fails our food system, which is not only polluting the planet but also falls short to meet the basic nutritional quotient of the global population. Eli Halpern noticed this crisis in the food industry and decided to fulfill it by introducing a sustainable alternative to meat protein. He is the founder and CEO of Golden Cricket Protein. (just Golden Cricket, not Golden Cricket Protein)
Golden Cricket Protein is a company offering a wholesome, delicious nutritional bar made of cricket protein. Humans have been eating insects throughout history so the thought of consuming crickets should not be surprising. Studies have found that crickets have a higher protein content compared to beef, whereas the greenhouse gasses generated from cricket farms (feedlots for raising and milling) are only a fraction compared to beef farms. Crickets need 2000x less water to be produced and are 65 percent protein by weight. They take only 6 weeks to farm. This dramatically reduces the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of protein harvested.
Eli started his career as a comedian and then became a martial artist. As a health enthusiast, he realized the importance of protein to preserve human health and also the price we are paying to keep only a small section of the world population healthy. Golden Cricket Protein is not just a company but an initiative to make more sustainable protein accessible to people worldwide. Interestingly, crickets are not only rich in protein but other essential micronutrients and minerals vital for human health.
Golden Cricket Protein combines the nutritional goodness of crickets in a bar to offer a go-to food high in protein, 9 essential amino acids, tons of omega 3 and 6, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Golden Cricket Protein bar is non-crunchy, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Apart from being nutrition-dense, Golden Cricket Protein bars are delicious too. They contain peanut butter, chocolate chips, dates, chicory root fiber, almond protein, banana powder, sunflower lecithin, allulose, coconut oil, oats, and natural flavors.
Eli’s business idea of a sustainable protein brand is not only reducing the impact of the carbon footprint of the food industry but also making nutrition more easily available to more people. He aspires to see Golden Cricket Protein bars in more stores in every country around the world. Eli wants to promote the importance of health and fitness through Golden Cricket Protein bars (lowercase protein bars) while educating the public on the impact of the food industry. This will motivate people to choose sustainable nutrition alternatives. Eli aims to rebuild impoverished societies and help end world hunger in the future. He envisions sustainable nutrition like Golden Cricket Protein becoming the staple for people worldwide instead of dairy products.
