Research on eating insects
Research on eating insects
Eating insects is widespread in Southeast Asia, but Laos in particular has the highest percentage of the population in the world who consumes insects on a daily basis. Crickets, mole crickets, grasshoppers and dung beetles live in rice fields and grasslands, aquatic insects such as diving beetles and giant water bugs live in water sources such as channels and ponds, and rhinoceros beetles, bamboo beetles and weaver ants live in sparse forests and secondary forests. These insects are collected in artificial natural environments, particularly in rural areas and woodlands.
These insect-eating practices have long been rooted in the region's unique food culture, as well as a safety net for villagers. Insects contain a variety of nutrients and are easily available, making them a familiar and important source of protein for villagers. Insects are also considered to be environmentally friendly due to their efficient conversion rate from feed to edible protein and the low carbon dioxide emissions emitted during the breeding process. Insects have also attracted attention as a solution to environmental issues, and in 2013 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released a report highly evaluating the potential of insect-eating. This prompted international attention to insect-eating, and its superiority as an environmentally friendly next-generation protein source is being reevaluated.
However, it is said that the habit of eating insects is also changing in Laos due to economic development and the modernization of agriculture. Changes in people's livelihoods and lifestyles, as well as changes in the ecological environment such as the increased use of pesticides, are thought to be affecting the habitats and distribution of insects.
Therefore, we aim to look at the reality of insect eating in rural Laotian villages and the role that insect eating plays in sustainable livelihoods and culture in Laos.
Insects for sale at a local market
