Way forward to bring insects in the human food chain

Abstract

The recognition that insects can contribute to food security has received a remarkable boost by the media, and is getting more attention from researchers and from food and feed agencies worldwide. This paper reviews major activities and achievements over the past 4 years and suggests ways forward mainly from an FAO perspective. To assure that insects can remain part of the diets of 2 billion people, action is urgently needed to protect and ensure sustainability in gathering wild insect populations, to promote simple semi-domestication techniques, and to farm insects at household or industrial scale levels. Integrating edible insects as healthy food into the agenda and campaigns of food agencies will require a more comprehensive understanding on the nutritional and health values of more insect species. Further investigation is needed particularly of impacts on consumer's health, food safety, environmental impacts and risk assessments of using insects in the food chain. National and international poverty alleviation agencies and aid programmes need to be made aware that gathering and farming insects is a viable option to help people improve their livelihoods. For this to happen, a comprehensive awareness raising campaign needs to be launched on the socio-economic benefits that insect gathering and farming can offer, with a special focus on improving the food security of the poorest of society. Legislators and policy makers are called on to deliberate and include insects as feed and food into existing national policy and legal frameworks covering the food, health and feed sectors. Research is needed to investigate the sustainability and quantify the environmental impacts of harvesting and farming insects as compared with traditional farming and livestock-raising practices. This would help to inform the public about the real footprint and cost of our food choices and on their socio-economic and environmental consequences.