How many people on our planet eat insects: 2 billion?

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorialpeer-review

Documents

  • A. van Huis
  • Afton Halloran
  • J. Van Itterbeeck
  • H. Klunder
  • Paul Vantomme

The estimated figure of two billion people consuming insects mentioned in the 2013 FAO/WUR report about edible insects has been cited many times over. This editorial asks four questions to determine the accuracy of the estimated figure: how to define an 'insect-eating' person; which percentage of the population eats insects; how does insect consumption develop over time; and how to define an edible insect? Our conclusion is that it is difficult to establish an exact figure of how many people eat insects globally and that the much cited 2 billion figure in the FAO/WUR report must be an overestimation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Insects as Food and Feed
Volume8
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)1-4
Number of pages4
ISSN2352-4588
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

    Research areas

  • Edible insects, Security

ID: 288847869