Recently appearing in the New York Times, this video documents how modern pesticides are affecting traditional food cultures.
In the town of Silveiras, Brazil, the frying and eating of queen ants dates back centuries, but pesticides used by the booming paper industry are now threatening the insects.
The number of ants has been dwindling. The principal culprits are pesticides used on eucalyptus trees that are planted to produce cellulose for paper and other products, residents and local officials said.
Generations of indigenous people treated the ants as a protein substitute for fish and monkeys, and now the ancient tradition of cooking and serving the ants with traditional Brazilian dishes is threatened.
Read the details in the New York Times’ article: Pesticides Threaten Ant-Eating Tradition in Brazil.