Why eat insects?
Entomophagy is the consumption of insects by humans. Entomophagy is practised in many countries around the world but predominantly in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Insects supplement the diets of approximately 2 billion people and have always been a part of human diets. However, it is only recently that entomophagy has captured the attention of the media, research institutions, chefs and other members of the food industry, legislators and agencies dealing with food and feed. The Edible Insects Programme at FAO also examines the potential of arachnids (e.g. spiders and scorpions) for food and feed, although by definition these are not insects.
Population growth, urbanization and the rising middle class have increased the global demand for
food, especially animal- based protein sources. The traditional production of animal feed such as fishmeal, soy and grains needs to be further intensified in terms of resource efficiency and extended through the use of alternative sources.
The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment
Insects supplement the diets of approximately 2 billion people and have always been a part of human diets.
Which insects?
There are more than 1900 edible insect species and the most important ones are in the orders of Coleoptera(beetles), Lepidoptera (butterfly and moths), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants), Orthoptera(grasshoppers and crickets), Isoptera (termites), Hemiptera (true bugs), and Homoptera (cicadas).
Reliable figures mention the consumption of 250 insect species in Africa, 549 in Mexico, 180 in China, and 160 in the Mekong area. Although Japan is not a tropical country, a number of insect species are popular food, in particular wasps.
Yde Jongema, taxonomist of the Laboratory of Entomology of Wageningen University, has compiled a worldwide list of edible insect species using a number of literature references.