Mini Livestock Ranching
The rising demand and cost of animal protein, food and feed insecurity, environmental and climatic challenges of livestock agriculture have made the option of insects as food sources a viable topic. This chapter presents existing information and research on edible insects, insect farms and value-added insect products and assesses insects as a potential source of food and feed. Mini livestock ranching where edible insect species are reared, can reduce some of the negative environmental effects of livestock agriculture as it will produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional livestock and have similar nutritional profiles. Edible insect species also; have a much lower feed to meat ratio, require small areas of land and have an almost negligible water requirement. There is an untapped potential to increase access to this nutritious, climate-smart food via intensified semi-cultivation and raising insects in farming environments, developing value added products and also a potential for a significant source of income.