Insects’ Production, Consumption, Policy, and Sustainability: What Have We Learned from the Indigenous Knowledge Systems?

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Insects are the most abundant animals in the world, with all species accounting for more than 70% of the global animal population. To manage the production of insects in the interest of food security, more attention should be given to environmentally-friendly harvesting methods such as indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). Since edible insects have economic, nutritional, and ecological advantages, their production deserves more attention from both national governments and assistance programmes to ensure food security. By developing improved conservation methods, insect production could be readily available throughout the year. Consequently, this review provides information that stakeholders such as farmers and national governments can use to make more informed decisions in relation to the contribution of indigenous knowledge systems to the production and sustainability of edible insects. ABSTRACT: Edible insects can be produced sustainably, with less environmental impact than other forms of livestock. Globally, over 2000 edible insect species have been reported and are regarded as a great source of nutrition, both as food and feed. Over the years, rural people have used indigenous knowledge to either store or process such insects. However, such valuable knowledge, if not properly recorded and documented, can easily be lost. Thus, there is a need to strike a balance between the use of indigenous and scientific knowledge to produce and process these delicacies. In addition, such indigenous knowledge is vital for preserving biodiversity, since insects are good indicators of climate change as it influences their development, reproduction, and survival. Therefore, successful and sustainable solutions may lie in bringing back indigenous knowledge systems.