Edible insects — a growing, multimillion-dollar industry

By Felicity Duncan

I've only eaten insects a few times — mopane worms a few times (not technically insects but certainly in the category of edible insects) and cricket tacos once. But the once-marginal business of eating bugs is now a fast-growing food sector, with North America and Europe leading the way. 

Spending on edible insects is expected to top $400 million in 2018, and to rise to $1.2 billion by 2023. Some 2 billion people already eat insects regularly, most of them in Asia which has hundreds of recorded edible species. Now, inspired by the low climate impact of insect farming and the impressive health profile of insects as food, more and more Westerners are getting on board with entomophagy (the eating of insects, arachnids, and myriapods). Surely there's an opportunity here for enterprising South Africans willing to freeze-dry and export some of South Africa's 50 or so known edible bugs.

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