Fried, baked, stewed, or even milled into a protein powder to be used in your smoothie – Crickets are dubbed to be the new ‘superfood’ of 2016. From ancient quinoa grains sourced from Peru to the Amazonian acai berry found in Brazil – most superfoods are found in exotic locations, rather than on a leaf in your backyard. With the increasing need to feed more people and the intensified desire for more sustainable food options, could crickets be replacing our tradition-bound Christmas turkey this year?

Whilst eating insects remains an oddity in the United States, Blueshift Research’s March 2015 Trend Tracker found that one-third of respondents were likely to buy an insect-based product. Moreover, insects are actually a consistent portion of the diet for more than two billion people around the world, according to a 2013 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of The United Nations. The report highlights the benefits of edible insects and how they can combat problems such as “the rising cost of animal protein, food and feed insecurity, environmental pressures, population growth and increasing demand for protein among the middle classes.”

Furthermore, earlier this year the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded research into insect farming for human food, with the aim of discovering innovative ways to augment cricket growth while decreasing the price of raising them. Whilst the research is still be undertaken, previous studies reveal that crickets’ potential role in future diets is somewhat compelled by the fact that they need ten times less feed than cattle while producing a similar amount of protein and less fat. Further evidence reveals crickets contain as much calcium as milk and is high in vitamin D, B1, B2 and B6, as well as phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.

In fact, in Houston, pan-sautéed grasshoppers are already on the menu at Hugo’s, whereas mini grasshoppers can be found at the Cuchara bistro at Fairview and Taft. Of course, crickets aren’t the only insect selection. The daring connoisseur can go online to buy chocolate-covered scorpions, superworms, silkworms, and more through U.S. distributors.

After all, the planet is expected to have nine billion people by 2050, thus growing enough food to feed everyone requires that we create more efficient and sustainable ways to produce food. Whether your preference is researching ways to increase cricket growth for human consumption or seeking to create new farming techniques for more traditional forms of protein – research such as this is important in an increasingly environmentally aware society. Research and development (R&D) can aid your company in remaining relevant in a progressively technological, innovative and competitive world. Moreover, if you are conducting eligible R&D activities, you may be able to claim generous tax savings back on your investment. Swanson Reed offers professional proficiency across a range of industries and has supported many clients achieve tax cash savings under the R&D tax credit regime. Contact one of our specialist R&D Tax consultants to find out more about the scheme and if you are eligible.

This thanksgiving, as you take a sip from your pumpkin spice latte or indulge in a bite of pumpkin pie, satiated feasters should take a second to give thanks to the idiosyncrasy of history that kept squash in our pies, on our plates, and flavoring our drinks. In fact, if megafauna—mastodons, mammoths, giant sloths and the like—had not become extinct than none of these seasonal delights would have been conceivable, according to an international team of anthropologists.

A new study, undertaken by researchers at Penn State University and published last week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says the thanksgiving staples we consume are distant survivors of ancient fruits that sidestepped extinction only because they were domesticated by humans. The study focuses on a 10,000-year history that connects humans to the rise of the pumpkin and the fall of the mammoth.

To clarify, the researchers found that originally humans did not consume the genus Cucurbita—i.e., pumpkins, squash, and gourds—since it was bitter and toxic to humans and smaller animals. However, mastodons and other large herbivores, would eat these wild fruits and then discard the seeds through the terrestrial in their droppings. Thus, new squash and gourd plants would propagate, the megafauna would eat the fruit, and the entire cycle would endure. However, when humans arrived in America between 13,500 and 14,500 years ago, overhunting, along with a shifting climate, eliminated giant sloths and their kin. Hence, without human intervention, our cherished fall pumpkin treats would have gone with them.

According to the researchers’ examination, throughout this time humans also began domesticating the gourds. At that phase, they were fond of the gourds due to their resilient rinds—utilizing them as containers for food and drink or floating fish nets. Although, as farming technology progressed, scientists believe that over time humans began eating the fruit and replanting the ones that were most appetizing. Ultimately, over thousands of years, the pumpkin evolved to become mild and tasty — and now icons of the fall season.

Therefore, this thanksgiving, after goring on the onslaught of pumpkin spice foods that appears every fall, take comfort in the fact that thanks to research and our ancient ancestors—we humans can claim to be the saviours of the gourd. A noble act indeed.

In light of the study above, has your business undertaken any research? If so, the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit scheme is one way to reduce the cost incurred by companies that are undertaking research and development activities. Contact us today to talk to a specialized R&D Tax professional who will be able to help you with any queries you may have.