ArticleInsects2020
Indigenous Knowledge about Consumption of Edible Insects in South Africa.
Article in Insects, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 115 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Review
- Sustainable Insect-Based Diets in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Prevalence, Acceptability and Impact on Nutritional Status.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Ethnographic mapping of edible insects in Tanzania: cultural knowledge, biodiversity, and food system implications.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2026Article
- Exploring Novel Foods: Consumer Willingness and Acceptance of Edible Insects as a Sustainable Alternative Protein Source in Saudi Arabia.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Insect Lipids as Novel Source for Future Applications: Chemical Composition and Industry Applications-A Comprehensive Review.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- From Bugs to Benefits: Edible Insects as Exceptional Protein Sources.Current protein & peptide science · 2025Review
- Consumer attitudes and perceptions on consumption of edible insects among communities in western Kenya.PloS one · 2025Article
- Assessment of Changes in the Fat Profile of House Cricket Flour during 12 Months of Storage in Various Conditions.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- MacrotermesHeliyon · 2024Article
- Review
- Suitability of Alternative Protein Foods for Agroecological Approaches to Address Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Current developments in nutrition · 2024Article
- Intention to Purchase Foods Based on Insects, Arachnids, and Arthropods, Processed by 3D Printing in Panama Consumers.International journal of food science · 2024Article
- Fats and major fatty acids present in edible insects utilised as food and livestock feed.Veterinary and animal science · 2023Review
- Entomophagy practices, use patterns, and factors influencing perception and consumption frequency of edible insects in the Republic of Benin.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2023Article
- Edible Insects: A Historical and Cultural Perspective on Entomophagy with a Focus on Western Societies.Insects · 2023Review
- New insights into the emerging edible insect industry in Africa.Animal frontiers : the review magazine of animal agriculture · 2023Article
- A Comprehensive Review of the Importance of Selected Trace Elements Present in Edible Insects.Biological trace element research · 2023Review
- Potential decline in the distribution and food provisioning services of the mopane wormFrontiers of biogeography · 2023Article
- Edible Insects Consumption in Africa towards Environmental Health and Sustainable Food Systems: A Bibliometric Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Consumption of edible insects is an indigenous practice that has played an essential role in human nutrition across Africa. The traditional use of insects forms an important part of food culture in Africa, and insects are consumed either as a delicacy, emergency, or staple source of food. However, indigenous knowledge about insect consumption is being lost because recent generations have adopted western methods and paid less attention to traditional practices. We conducted 500 questionnaires in five local municipalities in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN), and 122 questionnaires in four local municipalities in Vhembe district in Limpopo, South Africa, to document indigenous knowledge about edible insects' consumption, collection, and preparation methods used in Limpopo and KZN. Eight insect species belonging to five insect orders were used as food in Limpopo and KZN, with mopane worms (94%) and termites (70%) being the most preferred species by respondents in Limpopo and KZN, respectively. Ninety-five percent of the respondents occasionally consumed insects in Limpopo, while only 28% did so in KZN. Nutritional benefits and tradition were the main reasons for consuming insects. Edible insects are a nutritious diet and play an important role in people's livelihoods in rural areas. However, there was a notable decline in entomophagy, particularly in KZN. The decline may be related to occidental acculturation, discomfort associated with eating insects, and declining insect availability. To promote entomophagy, the authorities should encourage people to include edible insects in their diets because of their nutritional value. In addition, edible insect flour should be incorporated in food products such as biscuits, bread, energy bars, cereal, and cookies to promote acceptability.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.