Swedish professor suggests cannibalism could help fight climate change

Hannibal
Hannibal the cannibal from The Silence of the Lambs. Photo credit: Orion Pictures

An academic in Sweden has come up with a novel way to fight climate change - cannibalism.

Magnus Söderlund of the Stockholm School of Economics suggested the macabre solution at a conference in the city earlier this week focused on foods of the future, GastroSummit. 

He delivered a talk titled 'Can You Imagine Eating Human Flesh?', the Epoch Times reports, in which he said people could be convinced to eat human flesh, but first they have to be persuaded to taste it.

Dr Söderlund was asked afterwards by Sweden's TV4 if he'd be willing to try human flesh himself. 

"I feel somewhat hesitant but to not appear overly conservative, I'd have to say I'd be open to at least tasting it."

More palatable solutions he presented included insects and pets.

Last year controversial scientist and author Richard Dawkins suggested humanity needed to "overcome its taboo" and consider eating lab-grown human meat.

Scientists earlier this year said studies showed there are two kinds of cannibals - those who have "a mixed personality disorder with sadistic and psychopathic features associated with paraphilia", and those suffering schizophrenia, and just want to destroy perceived threats - in this case, by eating them.

Newshub.