( CNN ) -- Palm weevils . To look at , these tiny bugs are relatively unassuming , perhaps even slightly creepy to the insect-adverse . To Mohammed Ashour , however , they are the solution to many of the ills facing the developing world . The humble palm weevil could potentially eradicate world hunger and malnutrition , it could lift whole communities out of poverty , and bring down global C02 levels . For a creature measuring just a few inches in length , that 's a lot of power . `` If anything , our business model is too disruptive , '' says Ashour , who launched Aspire with four fellow MBA students from McGill University . Their aim is to introduce insect farming to countries with an affinity for insect consumption and a lack of access to nutritional sustenance . Their idea won them the 2013 Hult Prize , which provides $ 1m seed money for the most game-changing social enterprise , as well backing from the Canadian government-funded Grand Challenges . With their winnings , Aspire set up a pilot program in Ghana , where food insecurity remains an issue in various parts of the country . Currently , 75 % of pre-school-aged children and two-thirds of pregnant women in Ghana suffer from anemia , according to the World Health Organization . `` In the rural community , the food is mainly made up of carbohydrates . Because of the fact that you 're not getting the protein you need -- there is n't much fish or beef in the diet -- I think what they eat is lacking in nutrition , '' says Dr. Clement Akotsen-Mensah , an entomologist and research fellow at the Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Center at the University of Ghana . `` The palm weevil can be a good supplement , '' he adds . In 2013 , the UN Food and Agricultural Organization released a report advocating insect consumption worldwide . The report found that pound-for-pound , palm weevils -- like other insects -- have similar levels of protein as beef , but beats out the bovine in levels of iron , potassium , zinc , phosphorous and several amino acids . While the government supplies pregnant women with iron pills and vitamins , Ashour says locals are n't always too amenable to taking them . `` In areas where iron deficiencies seems to be the greatest , there is also a lack of education , or sometimes a lack of trust in government . If you go to a small village outside of Accra , good luck instructing a woman to take a package of pills and expect an order of compliance , '' he notes . `` We 're introducing iron and protein in a way that is much more culturally acceptable . '' Moreover , some Ghanians , particularly those living in the north and east , already make palm weevils a part of their diet . `` You wo n't see it everywhere in Ghana , but in places where it is consumed , it is consumed with quite a high affinity , '' says Ashour . While he notes that Ghana has `` a strong demand , '' he says what it lacks is supply , as currently the bugs are harvested by hand . By introducing farming , Aspire is not only increasing access to a cheaper and more nutritional source of protein , it says it is introducing new revenue streams for Ghanians living in poverty . `` The process of farming itself is n't overly complicated . Someone who is uneducated but industrious can do it and get it up and running in a short amount of time , '' says Ashour . Aspire has decided to target farmers living in rural and peri-urban communities , where , Ashour notes , there is an abundance of land , but a dearth of opportunities . Aspire would provide farmers with the kits and training free of charge , then buy back the weevils to distribute en masse throughout the country . Aspire is also looking into creating products from the weevils , such as a high-protein flour that could be added to any dish to make it more nutritious . `` I think it has a lot of potential , '' says Akotsen-Mensah . `` Previously , the wood from the palm trees was n't really used for anything . People would make wine from it maybe , then leave it . Now they can use it to raise the weevil , and get some small income . It could have a great economic impact , '' he adds . Aspire has other insect-farming projects it 's either launched or is looking into . The group has also set up a pilot grasshopper-farming program in Mexico , and is looking into introducing cricket farming in Kenya . The choice of insect is determined by local tastes . It is also looking at introducing entomophagy -- or the practice of bug-eating -- into the United States . While the project in Ghana is fairly new ( Aspire launched the program less than three months ago ) , Ashour has high hopes for it , ultimately envisioning his weevil products to reach 30 % of the market in Ghana . `` You 're asking an optimist , '' he concedes . `` I really see us having great impact . By next year 's end , it would be possible to reach anywhere from 500,000 to one million people . ''
Two billion people eat insects in 162 countries around the world . Insects need less food , water and land to survive than beef and chicken . Social enterprise Aspire is trying to reduce insect consumption globally . It hopes its Ghana pilot program will revitalize the economy .