Introductory Aspects of Insects as Food: Their Historical and Cultural Importance

The world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 [ 1 ]. The main population growth will take place only in nine countries (given in the order of expected growth): India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States of America, Uganda, and Indonesia [ 1 ]. It is anticipated that despite declining fertility levels, the upward trend in the world population will continue, so by 2050, we will have more than nine billion people to feed – how can we manage? From our globe, only 40% of the ice-free land surface is suitable for agriculture, while forests take 30%, deserts and mountains take 25%, and the urban and wetlands take the rest [ 2 ]. Of the total agricultural land, 70% is used for feeding livestock, and 30% of all grains produced are fed to animals (80% of soy and half of the corn production).