Insects in Agriculture: Traditional Roles and Beyond

Insects have always represented a key factor for agriculture, since crop production has constantly depended on pollination. In recent years, the use of pesticides, the reduction in land availability, the changes in environmental conditions, and the rise of invasive species endangered the traditional pollinators’ life. The economic and ecological importance of these insects led the European Commission to carry on a specific policy to protect bees. However, pollination is not the only significant role that bugs can play in agriculture. Beneficial insects are also successful ‘weapons’, when associated with other forms of crop protection, in the integrated pest management. This function is of paramount importance when referring to organic agriculture, where insects are further expressly included in the notion of ‘animal production’. Insects can however play additional innovative roles in agriculture, turning to be promising solutions for the emerging issues concerning the environment, and the sufficiency of feed and food supplies. Any innovative approach leads to new questions, in a law perspective. Starting from the traditional roles of insects in agriculture (pollination and pest management), the paper will focus on their newest functions (insects as waste reducers and as sources of feed and food), paying particular attention to the emerging relevant legal issues, both at an international and at an EU level: the existence of harmonized regulatory frameworks, questions related to animal welfare, organizational aspects of the breeding systems, but above all safety and environmental concerns. It will finally draw some conclusions, wondering what aspects could be improved and to what extent.