Integrating Edible Insects into Climate-smart Food Systems for Micronutrient Security and Hidden Hunger Reduction: A Review

Abstract

Hidden hunger remains a persistent global nutrition challenge, particularly among populations with limited access to diverse, micronutrient-rich diets. Climate change and food-system challenges affect the availability and affordability of nutrient-dense foods, increasing interest in edible insects as alternative sources of protein and essential micronutrients. However, nutrient concentration and production efficiency alone do not establish nutritional effectiveness. This review critically examines the role of edible insects in climate-resilient micronutrition through a production-to-consumption framework that links rearing conditions and nutrient accumulation to processing, bioaccessibility, bioavailability, dietary intake, safety, and acceptability. Evidence across species and production systems reveals substantial variation in micronutrient composition, accumulation, and environmental performance. Thus, elevated nutrient concentrations do not translate into greater absorption or improved nutritional status because biological regulation, processing losses, nutrient interactions, food-matrix effects, and dietary context can constrain nutrient delivery. Similarly, environmental benefits depend on substrate characteristics, energy requirements, processing, and how insect biomass is allocated to food or feed. Collectively, the literature supports shifting from evaluating edible insects primarily by nutrient density or production efficiency to assessing their capacity to deliver safe, bioavailable, acceptable, and nutritionally meaningful nutrients within complete food systems. Future research should strengthen standardised assessment of bioaccessibility and absorption, human intervention evidence, realistic dietary scenarios, and integrated environmental and socioeconomic evaluation. Edible insects may therefore contribute to climate-resilient micronutrient security. However, their nutritional value ultimately depends on how efficiently production translates into nutrients that are accessible, bioavailable, and consumed within sustainable diets.