Anthropo-entomophagy in Latin America: an overview of the importance of edible insects to local communities

Abstract

Anthropo-entomophagy has evolved in many ways, from the point of view of collection, marketing and consumption, and for the insects’ organoleptic qualities. Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico due to their sociocultural origin, stand out as the Latin American countries that have the habit of consuming insects by presenting both a biological and an ethnic diversity. Edible species are eaten both as immature (eggs, larvae, pupae, and nymphs) and in some cases as adults. They are ingested whole or in parts, as well as in the products they produce, such as honey, propolis, pollen, and wax. Many insect species are consumed not only as food but also as medicine, and this provides a relevant contribution to the phenomenon of zootherapy, as well as opening new prospects for the economic and cultural valorisation of animals usually regarded as useless. The ingestion of a variety of edible species contributes to the nutritional health of indigenous, traditional peoples, as well as those individuals who live in urban areas who use this kind of food resource, in accordance with their seasonal abundance. Some field studies corroborate that although the tradition of eating insects has faced several changes, it has been maintained for a long time thanks to intergenerational knowledge. However, the aversion to edible insects is the reason why a considerable amount of animal protein becomes unavailable since the phenomenon is regarded as ‘primitive peoples’ practice’. If the rich biosociodiversity found in Latin American countries is taken into account, then it can be said that the phenomenon of anthropo-entomophagy has been underestimated. Considering the nutritional qualities that insects have, they should be considered as renewable resources available for sustainable exploitation aiming at reducing the problem of malnutrition and hunger in many parts of the world.