Insect ice-cream isn’t just an interesting concept – it’s a conduit for serious conversation around the future of the global food economy. To help fuel these discussions and break down stigmas, The Economist has been hosting pop-up scooperies around the country dishing out its buggy iced confections so you can see (and taste) what all the fuss is about. There will be four fun flavours to try – the Scurry Berry with blueberry, raspberry and a mix of insects, the Choc Hopper with (you guessed it) grasshopper and chocolate, the Strawberries and Swirls with cream and meal-worms, and the Nutritious Neapolitan featuring mixed critters in a strawberry, chocolate and vanilla base.

The initial thought of insects in your ice-cream may be a little bit jarring, but hear us out – there are a whole heap of benefits to incorporating bugs into your diet. At the current rate, global demands for meat are putting a serious strain on the environment. Two billion people across the world are already enjoying the benefits of a diet that includes insects – some of the perks include decreased wastage, a high protein content and a greatly reduced impact on the environment. As well as looking into the advantages of eating bugs, The Economist has done a heap of research into the future of sustainable food – you can check it out on its website.

Keen to see if you can stomach the future? The Economist will be dishing out free scoops of insect ice-cream at the University of Queensland on Wednesday March 14 and in the Queen Street Mall on Thursday March 15 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Get a wriggle on!