This article by Springer systematically compares and contrasts the known environmental impacts of traditional vertebrate animal production with insect production intended for both food and animal feed. There are major physiological and biological differences between traditional livestock species and insects, which often translate into lower environmental impacts from insect production. However, insect production systems are still in their infancy and there are still major improvements to be made. Based on the analysis, the greatest potential of insects is the prospect of feeding them various kinds of waste products from agriculture, industry and households. This article can serve as a reference guide for future research into the environmental impacts of insects for food and feed.

This article is a chapter in the book “Edible Insects in Sustainable Food Systems“. Other relevant articles related to environmental impact of edible insects are for example “Sustainable proteins? Values related to insects in food systems” and “Conservation of Edible Insects in Sub-Saharan Africa“.

Curated from link.springer.com