Entomophagy

In humans

Entomophagy is scientifically described as widespread among non-human primates and common among many human communities. The scientific term describing the practice of eating insects by humans is anthropo-entomophagy. The eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of certain insects have been eaten by humans from prehistoric times to the present day. Around 3,000 ethnic groups practice entomophagy. Human insect-eating (anthropo-entomophagy) is common to cultures in most parts of the world, including Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Eighty percent of the world's nations eat insects of 1,000 to 2,000 species. FAO has registered some 1,900 edible insect species and estimates that there were, in 2005, some two billion insect consumers worldwide. FAO suggests eating insects as a possible solution to environmental degradation caused by livestock production. While these products are increasingly available, recent research suggests that insect-based foods are unlikely to significantly replace traditional meat. Only a small minority of consumers would consider replacing meat with insects. In the US and Europe, where insects are not traditionally eaten, cultural barriers and disgust limit adoption, leading most companies to focus on the animal feed market. Furthermore, the feeding of insects today is done through the valorization of agricultural by-products based on cereals, rather than food waste, which is already being used in livestock feed. This significantly reduces the ecological benefits of insect farming.

In some societies, primarily western nations, entomophagy is uncommon or taboo. Today, insect eating is uncommon in North America and Europe, but insects remain a popular food elsewhere, and some companies are trying to introduce insects as food into Western diets. A 2022 analysis of Google Trends data showed that people in Japan have become increasingly interested in entomophagy since 2013.