An insect cannery worker scoops live grasshoppers after washing them prior to cooking them for...

An insect cannery worker scoops live grasshoppers after washing them prior to cooking them for human consumption at an agricultural research centre in Sakon Nakhon, northern Thailand July 5. The eating of insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, water beetles and crickets has a long tradition among the people of Northeastern Thailand and now the agricultural research centre has perfected the cooking and canning of the insects for consumption across Thailand and possibly other countries in Asia. At about US 75 cents per can, a diet of insects is a cheap and nutritious alternative to mainstream food, providing protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.