Environmental impact of insect rearing for food and feed: state of the art and perspectives

The demand for feed and animal food products is expected to rise sharply until 2050. In addition, livestock production plays a role in the overall anthropogenic impact. Thus, valuable protein alternatives such as edible insects are welcome. Even if comparisons between studies are not easy due to several methodological aspects, edible insects appear more sustainable than other animal products or feedstuffs. However, other environmental indicators (e.g., acidification potential) should be investigated to get a complete understanding of the environmental performance of edible insects as food and feed. Studies comparing different insect species and/or different rearing strategies should be undertaken.