Edible Insects and Circular Economy

Dear Colleagues,

As the global population is rapidly growing and more proteins, particularly of animal origin, are requested, the identification of alternative protein sources is now necessary and can no longer be postponed. Moreover, the rising demand for proteins is associated with an increasing exploitation of natural resources with high environmental impact. Many insect species have been proposed as a valuable source, due to their high nutritional quality in terms of proteins, lipids, minerals, and vitamins, and their production has been shown to be more environmentally beneficial than the traditional protein products, especially according to the growth substrate. Besides, an important role in the circular economy have been attributed to insects, as they allow the reduction and the valorization of by-products and wastes, accumulate nutrients that are currently wasted, and produce a valuable protein biomass. The use of by-products and wastes as insect feed also leads to a reduction in the competition between animals and humans in food demand, in addition to a reduction of rearing costs.

Original papers dealing with insects as an alternative protein source as feed or food are welcome for this Topical Collection. In particular, manuscripts relating to the role of insects in the circular economy, the biovalorization of by-products and wastes, the use of agro-food industry substrates as feed for insects, the evaluation of the environmental impact of insect production, and the use of insects in waste management are kindly requested.

Dr. Costanza Jucker
Dr. Sara Savoldelli
Dr. Thomas Spranghers
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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