The Role of Social Insects in Food Security

Lessons from Traditional Communities Across the World

Project Summary

This interdisciplinary project explores the vital role of social insects—bees, ants, wasps, and termites—as sustainable food sources and cultural resources for Indigenous communities across Asia, Africa, and South America. Despite their nutritional value and climate resilience, the use of social insects in traditional diets remains under-documented and undervalued in global food security discourse. Drawing on case studies from India, Guyana, and the Republic of Congo, the project will document historical and contemporary practices of insect harvesting, farming, and consumption. It aims to preserve traditional knowledge, assess the contribution of social insects to local diets, and explore their potential to address future food insecurity. The research also seeks to challenge Western biases against entomophagy by highlighting Indigenous expertise. Combining ecology, ethnobiology, and anthropology, the project will produce a roadmap for integrating traditional insect-based practices into global food systems, supporting both cultural preservation and sustainable development in the face of climate change.