London's first insect farm owners are trying get people to eat worms and crickets to save the world

• This insect farm in west London is farming mealworms, kingworms and crickets for food.
• The farm produces 50 kilograms of food every eight weeks in a space that's only 30 m2.
• Horizon Insects hopes more people will start eating insects as they require much less space, water, and energy than cattle.

Horizon Insects is an insect farm in London that rears thousands of edible worms and crickets. It now produces 50 kilograms of insects every eight weeks but it was started as a school project.

Laurence Mohan undertook the project as part of his Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a youth awards programme that requires developing practical skills and interests. Over time Laurence's mother took an interest and the project slowly expanded into a family business.

The farm prioritises sustainability and it uses leftover food from local businesses to feed the insects. Mealworms are the easiest and most energy efficient insects that the farm grows. The worms only need 10% of the land used for beef, and they produce far less CO2. They need feeding once per day and don't require any extra water.

Mealworms are the larvae of the Tenebrio molitor beetle, each beetle lays around 500 eggs. The farm also raises kingworms and crickets, although they take up more space. The insects are very versatile in cooking, they are high in protein and omega-3, and they can be used as a simple meat substitute or blended into a flour for baking.

Produced by Charlie Floyd