How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways

Looy, Heather; Dunkel, Florence V.; Wood, John R.

doi:10.1007/s10460-013-9450-x

Cited by 282 publications

(191 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…One of the main reasons why insects are considered as potentially sustainable sources of animal protein is because of their high feed conversion efficiency (Nakagaki and deFoliart 1991;Berenbaum 1995;Gullan and Cranston 2005;RamosElorduy 2008;Premalatha et al 2011;Looy et al 2013). The reason for this expectation is that insects are poikilothermic.…”

Section: Feed Conversion Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

Huis

Oonincx

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

570

344

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With a growing world population, increasingly demanding consumers, and a limited amount of agricultural land, there is an urgent need to find alternatives to conventional meat products. Livestock production is, moreover, a leading cause of anthropogenic-induced climate change. To mediate this, more sustainable diets are needed, with reduced meat consumption or the use of alternative protein sources. Insects are promoted as human food and animal feed worldwide. In tropical countries, edible insects are harvested from nature, but overexploitation, habitat changes, and environmental contamination threaten this food resource. Therefore, sustainable harvesting practices need to be developed and implemented. We provide examples of (1) aquatic insects whose populations are threatened by pollution, (2) caterpillar species in Africa that are disappearing due to overexploitation and habitat change, (3) edible insects species that are considered pests in agro-ecosystems, and (4) edible insect species that can be conserved and enhanced in forest management systems. Insect farming can be conducted either on small-scale farms or in large-scale industrialized rearing facilities. We review the environmental sustainability of insect farming compared to livestock production. The major environmental advantages of insect farming compared to livestock production are as follows: (1) less land and water is required; (2) greenhouse gas emissions are lower; (3) insects have high feed conversion efficiencies; (4) insects can transform low-value organic by-products into highquality food or feed; and (5) certain insect species can be used as animal feed or aqua feed. For instance, they can replace fish meal, which is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.However, edible insect species intended for production should be screened for risks to humans, animals, plants, and biodiversity.

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Section: Feed Conversion Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

Huis

Oonincx

2017

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

570

344

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“…Insects as a food source are healthy, ecologically sound, and economically beneficial. 41,42,43 It is unlikely that presenting this information to an individual is going to overcome their disgust of eating an insect. Previous studies found habituation to be effective, 44,45,46 yet, in these cases participants have had a personal motivation to do so, either to overcome a phobia or complete medical school.…”

Section: How To Influence a Disgust Attitudementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing Social and Intellectual Appeals to Reduce Disgust of Eating Crickets

Sheppard¹,

Frazer²

2015

SAH

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“…The number of papers has since multiplied -between 2011 and mid-2015 there have been 49 entries, most of which deal with human consumption of insects and many with a focus on traditional foraging of insects (ethno-entomology). Looy et al (2014) describe a likely mechanism for how the term 'entomophagy' developed into the more anthropological term in use today:…”

Section: Origin Of the Term 'Entomophagy'mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different configurations of the vernacular 'insect' category are also regularly used by researchers for practical purposes, prioritising descriptive power over taxonomic precision (Holt, 1885;Kellert, 1993;Looy et al, 2014;Misof et al, 2014). Failure to recognise different classification schemes obstructs the knowledge exchange crucial for developing a richer appreciation of insects' edible potential (Sileshi et al, 2009).…”

Section: Taxonomy and Classificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Entomophagy’: an evolving terminology in need of review

Evans

Alemu

Flore

et al. 2015

JIFF

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There is growing interest in insects as human food in academia, food and agricultural industries, public institutions and the public at large. Yet many of the words and concepts used to describe these organisms and the human practices surrounding them are still rudimentary, compared to the diversity of the organisms themselves and the existing complexity and rapid evolution of the practices they aim to describe. The goals of this paper are to: (1) show how the roots of the term ‘entomophagy’ and its uses have evolved over time; (2) illustrate some of the term’s problems that necessitate its review; and (3) offer recommendations for use of the term in future research and other practice. Our paper offers a brief historical review of insect eating as described by certain Western cultural sources, explores some of the taxonomic ambiguities and challenges surrounding the category ‘insects’, and ultimately argues for more precise and contextual terminology in this both richly traditional and rapidly developing field.

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How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways

Cited by 282 publications

References 69 publications

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

The environmental sustainability of insects as food and feed. A review

Comparing Social and Intellectual Appeals to Reduce Disgust of Eating Crickets

‘Entomophagy’: an evolving terminology in need of review

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