Ecological and Human Diet Value of Locusts in a Changing World

Abstract

Since ancient times, locusts have been serious pests wreaking havoc on settled agriculture throughout much of the world. Numerous locust practices have been developed to control infestations. This has led to most commentaries portraying locust infestations only in a negative light while focusing on finding best management practices for suppressing locust populations and lessening crop damage caused by swarms. Yet, locusts are also of great ecological significance in being not only an extraordinary natural phenomenon but also major components of ecosystem nutrient cycling, arising long before settled agriculture. Furthermore, for humans, locusts are a nutritious food source, historically and currently being consumed directly. Locust control today should more regularly include their harvesting. This is now more feasible, as environmentally friendly biopesticides can be used to replace harmful organic pesticides. We focus here on the ecological significance of locusts by using calculations based on a 1 km2 area of swarming and breeding Desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, and show that the huge biomass of locust individuals contributes greatly to ecosystem processes while also having great potential use in human nutrition, especially where there is an urgent need for improved dietary intake and nutrition.