Chefs urge people to eat feral creatures wreaking havoc on landscape: 'Amazing protein that we want people to be able to enjoy'

More Australians are letting invasives dominate their stomachs instead of their landscapes, according to recent ABC News Australia coverage.

Savory pies are a popular dish in Australia. So, culinary professionals like Wildpie founder Louise Daily are using invasives like goat, venison, wallaby, and boar culled from local programs as a key ingredient.

As these feral species roam the land, they often overgraze vegetation and damage soil. Thus, other species can starve out while farmers lose crops.

As she told ABC News Australia, "More often than not, most of the meat doesn't get utilised and we see there's a huge waste of really amazing protein that we want people to be able to enjoy more."  

However, some have concerns about the viable long-term economic prospects of building a culinary business around feral animals. What happens to such a food industry if the problem (i.e., the meat source it relies on) eventually gets under control? 

University of Auckland professor of conservation biology James Russell isn't against using culled invasive meat for food businesses, but told ABC News Australia, "It shouldn't be the driving force of it," as it's not eradicating the problem.

Others worry how it can affect recreational hunting, an industry that contributed $2.4 billion to the national economy, according to an ABC News Australia report from 2019.

Daily understands her business isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to reducing the invasive population and told ABC News Australia, "It's a bit of a pie-in-the-sky-type of situation." 

However, she isn't alone in advocating for change at work through sustainable food practices. For example, Louisiana chef Philippe Parola cooks invasive carp and writes recipe books promoting the edibility of other invasives. Sage Vegan Bistro changed its name to Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery when it pivoted from its all-vegan menu and added meat from regenerative farms — a farming practice where crops contain more nutrients and minerals.

These food businesses are helping with another global problem — food waste.

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With about 8.3 million tons of food wasted in Australia, costing the economy $36.6 billion annually, Wildpie harvesting already culled meat may help. In the United States, as much as 30-40% of the food supply goes to waste, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, despite many people suffering from hunger. 

More ecological food practices using policy, technology, and better storage can reduce the 8% carbon pollution that food waste creates, according to the United Nations, and free up valuable land.

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