Farm animals can eat insects and algae to prevent deforestation

WWF says alternatives to industrially farmed animal feed must be developed to stop biodiversity loss

Farm animals could be fed on insects and algae, potentially preventing significant amounts of deforestation and water and energy waste, according to environmental campaigners.

"We're a bit squeamish about eating insects in the UK," said WWF's food policy manager Duncan Williamson at the Extinction and Livestock conference in London. "But we can feed them to our animals. We are going to need animal feed for the foreseeable future, but algae and insects are an alternative to the current system."