Final answer:
Embracing entomophagy as a practice helps meet human nutritional needs and lessens ecological pressures from traditional livestock farming. Insects provide essential nutrients and support sustainable agriculture by serving as pollinators while consuming fewer resources compared to livestock.
Step-by-step explanation:
By embracing entomophagy (the consumption of insects as food), the nutritional needs of people can continue to be met while also significantly reducing the ecological pressures resulting from traditional livestock rearing practices. Insects are a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and engaging in minilivestock cultivation can be an ecologically sound concept. These small animals play critical roles in ecosystems, not only as a source of food for other species but also as vital pollinators for flowering plants and food crops.
Transitioning to diets that include insect consumption has the potential to alleviate the stress on resources caused by the current system, where a significant portion of human-edible crops are used to feed livestock. This practice is inefficient in terms of calorie and protein conversion, and with a projected need for a 119% increase in edible crops by 2050, seeking more sustainable food sources is imperative. Minilivestock also aligns with the need for future food systems to be nutritionally adequate, environmentally sound, and economically affordable, paving the way for a more sustainable future.