Insects as food – an option for sustainable food production?

Insects have long been part of traditional diets in many parts of the world. More than two billion people consume insects, and over 2,100 species are used as food. In Europe, however, eating insects remains relatively uncommon.

With a growing global population and an increasing need for resource-efficient food production, interest in insect farming has grown. Insects provide high-quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Many species are also highly efficient at converting feed into body mass, potentially reducing the demand for land and other resources compared with conventional livestock production.

But how sustainable is insect production? Which species are suitable for farming, and what are the potential risks to human health and biodiversity? How can safe and efficient production systems be developed, and what would encourage more people to include insects in their diets?

Insects as Food – An Option for Sustainable Food Production? provides a broad overview of the knowledge surrounding insects for human consumption. It explores nutritional value, resource efficiency, environmental impacts, farming methods, food safety and consumer attitudes.

Published by SLU Future Food in 2019, the report is an updated version of an earlier publication from 2015.