Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
3.6
Journals
Agriculture
Special Issues
Sustainability and Perspectives of Edible Insect Rearing and Utilization of...
share announcement

Special Issue "Sustainability and Perspectives of Edible Insect Rearing and Utilization of Their Products and Byproducts"

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2024 | Viewed by 3490

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Simona Errico

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ENEA, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Department of Sustainability, Trisaia Research Center, I-75026 Rotondella, Italy
Interests: edible insects; novel foods; sustainability; circular economy; insects flours; alternative protein sources; products and by-products of insect rearing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The prediction that the world population will be 9 billion by 2050, widely regarded as optimistic, imposes a more responsible and sustainable use of resources and, at the same time, a search for alternative protein sources that can meet the nutritional needs of an ever-growing population hungry for healthy food. In traditional livestock farming, greater attention must be paid to the sustainability and safety of the feed provided, without neglecting food crops, both of which are representatives of specific territories and innovative ones. In all cases, the concept of sustainability must be declined in its three terms: environmental, economic and social. In this context, edible insects are a promising alternative food source due to their high nutritional value and sustainable production. In some countries, edible insect production must be made increasingly sustainable through the valorisation of waste and by-products for insect feeding as well as the valorisation of farm products. For other countries, it represents a promising prospect for direct or indirect feed and food production.

The goal of the current Special Issue is to publish high-quality scientific articles dealing with innovative solutions for edible insect rearing, as well as new perspectives on the use of rearing products and byproducts. For this reason, we invite you to submit the results of your current scientific research, in the form of original articles, communications, or reviews, on (i) conditions of edible insect rearing for animal feed production; (ii) the valorization of waste from agrifood supply chains for insects’ sustenance; (iii) the utilization of the products and byproducts of rearing, both direct and indirect; (iv) the production and utilization of flours from them both for food and feed; (v) changes in the environmental impact of insect rearing and their connection to the geographical area of their setting; and (vi) the effects of insect feeding on farmed animals, especially those intended in turn for human consumption.

Thank you for your contributions.

Dr. Simona Errico
Guest Editor

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. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. 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 special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • edible insects
  • insect rearing
  • sustainability
  • food preferences
  • insect meals
  • alternative protein sources
  • animal feed
  • insect meal digestibility
  • waste, products and byproducts of insect rearing

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 1928 KiB  
Article
Prickly Pear Cladodes as an Alternative Source of Water in Small- and Medium-Scale Yellow Mealworm Rearing
by
Simona Errico
,
Paola Sangiorgio
,
Stefania Moliterni
,
Alessandra Verardi
,
Anna Spagnoletta
,
Salvatore Dimatteo
and
Ferdinando Baldacchino
Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1435; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071435 - 20 Jul 2023
Viewed by 570
Abstract
New solutions are compulsorily needed to reconcile the enormous and ever-growing request for protein for human nutrition and, at the same time, reduce conventional meat production. This epochal challenge can find a valuable aid to a winning solution in insect rearing. The use [...] Read more.
New solutions are compulsorily needed to reconcile the enormous and ever-growing request for protein for human nutrition and, at the same time, reduce conventional meat production. This epochal challenge can find a valuable aid to a winning solution in insect rearing. The use of insects as feed and food, far from being a definitive solution to global food shortages, can offer new protein sources and perfectly fit circular economy precepts, yet more so when insects feed on by-products from the agri-food industry. In this scenario, Tenebrio molitor (TM) is a concrete alternative. Therefore, making its rearing more sustainable is a prime objective. In this paper, we evaluated the possibility of replacing usual plant sources of wet supplementation used in TM rearing with sustainable alternatives, including the cladodes of prickly pear (Opuntias ficus indica, OFI), to reduce the frequency of administration, thus minimizing related labor costs. The alternatives were tested for water content, dehydration, and shelf life to select the best-performing ones. On the selected matrices, we evaluated the preference of the larvae and their palatability because a matrix may be convenient and sustainable but not appreciated by consumers. The results showed that OFI cladodes have high moisture and a long shelf life and are appreciated by the larvae that prefer them to other matrices. Thus, OFI can replace the conventional wet source in TM rearing, at least in areas where this cactus grows wild and is not difficult to obtain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Perspectives of Edible Insect Rearing and Utilization of Their Products and Byproducts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 717 KiB  
Review
Silkworm Bombyx mori—Sustainability and Economic Opportunity, Particularly for Romania
by
Mihaela Hăbeanu
,
Anca Gheorghe
and
Teodor Mihalcea
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061209 - 07 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2492
Abstract
The main concerns and challenges of raising silkworms include economic value, mulberry management, biodiversity conservation of genetic resources, and developing highly productive breeds for genetic variety. This study investigated the relationship between the economic relevance of the products generated throughout the value chain, [...] Read more.
The main concerns and challenges of raising silkworms include economic value, mulberry management, biodiversity conservation of genetic resources, and developing highly productive breeds for genetic variety. This study investigated the relationship between the economic relevance of the products generated throughout the value chain, limitations, and opportunities to generate incomes for sericulture farmers, trends, and perspectives worldwide, particularly in Romania. Seventy-seven publications were considered from online databases. The diversification of products generated at each level of the value chain of silkworm rearing and their multipurpose applications impact social and economic life. Hence, silk is well known as a valuable biomaterial for industry, suitable for textile and medicine. There are several arguments to use silkworms in human food even though they are not yet authorized as edible insects at the European level. Thus, as a nutrient-rich by-product, silkworm pupae (extract, cakes, and oil) have medicinal properties and can be used for human and animal nutrition. Sericin, silk fibroin, and chitin are bioactive compounds in cocoons and pupae with pharmacological implications and drug composition, while biomass is suitable for biodiesel and excreta for compost. The farmers’ attitudes and mentality associated with political circumstances influence the perspectives for the sericulture field. Due to the high likelihood of using their products, small-medium-scale farmers might benefit sericulture by identifying new sales marketplaces and finding new beneficiaries for directing their multiple products. The funds allotted by government subventions for supporting this fascinating activity and opportunities for jobs may aid in encouraging to start of a new sericulture business or to contribute developing the existing one. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Perspectives of Edible Insect Rearing and Utilization of Their Products and Byproducts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: A multidisciplinary approach for the development of a supply chain in biomass conversion mediated by larvae of Hermetia illucens L.: from rearing to by-product exploitation in the Hermes project.
Authors: E. De Santis; A. De Iudicibus; F. Lecce; M. De Mei; F. Petrazzuolo; A. Assirelli; C. Beni; A. Del Giudice; F. Gallucci; M. Carnevale; E. Santangelo; S. Arnone
Affiliation: 1 - Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department; 2 - Department of Sustainability ENEA CR Casaccia Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Santa Maria di Galeria (Rome, Italy); 3 - CREA Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo (Rome, Italy)

Back to TopTop