[en] Edible insects are considered as one of the future and sustainable sources of animal protein. Insects for food or feed could have several origins. In Asia, Africa, South America or Oceania, the diversity of edible insects is very high (approximately 2000 species) and these insects are principally collected from the wild or semi-cultivated. However, in Western countries, entomophagy promoters rely on a few numbers of insect species (approximately 10 species) and on the development of industrial farming of these insects. Effectively, insects are good candidates for sustainable farming as they possess a high conversion rate and a low environmental impact, require a reduced-size breeding space and could recycle organic industrial and/or agricultural by-products. This review will discuss the different possible origins of edible insects and the environmental impact related to these practices. Moreover, as scientific literature is very poor on this subject, suggestions on further studies in this area will be proposed.
Disciplines :
Entomology & pest control
Author, co-author :
Caparros Megido, Rudy ; Université de Liège > Agronomie, Bio-ingénierie et Chimie (AgroBioChem) > Entomologie fonctionnelle et évolutive
Alabi, Taofic ; Université de Liège > Agronomie, Bio-ingénierie et Chimie (AgroBioChem) > Entomologie fonctionnelle et évolutive