The report also called for wider use of insects as feed for livestock, saying that poor regulation and under-investment currently meant it “cannot compete” with traditional sources of feed.
“The use of insects on a large scale as a feed ingredient is technically feasible, and established companies in various parts of the world are already leading the way,” it added, highlighting in particular producers in China, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
“Insects can supplement traditional feed sources such as soy, maize, grains and fishmeal,” it said, adding that the ones with most potential were larvae of the black soldier fly, the common housefly and the yellow mealworm.
The report also said the insects most commonly consumed by humans are beetles (31 percent), caterpillars (18 percent) and bees, wasps and ants (14 percent), followed by grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (13 percent).
It said trade in insects was thriving in cities such as Bangkok and Kinshasa and that a similar culture of insect consumption – entomophagy – should be established elsewhere, stressing that it was often cheaper to farm insects.
The report concluded: “History has shown that dietary patterns can change quickly, particularly in a globalised world. The rapid acceptance of raw fish in the form of sushi is a good example.”
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