Edible insects: A food alternative for the sustainable development of the planet

Abstract Currently, the livestock industry occupies a large percentage of the planet's ice-free surface. In addition, it is considered one of the main factors causing environmental pollution and global warming due to the toxicity it causes in soils and due to the emission of organic matter, pathogens and drug residues in products for human consumption, therefore it becomes imperative to find a medium and long-term solution to this problem. The objective of this research is to demonstrate that insects are a viable alternative to combat nutritional deficiencies in people's diets and to slow down the deterioration of the environment. Bibliographic sources from the main databases of indexed journals were used and the literature was selected according to various inclusion criteria. The main results found were the nutritional composition of various edible insects (highlights their protein content and in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals such as: riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin and folic acid; copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc), the content of functional compounds (mainly peptides, terpenoids, polyphenols, glycosides and sulfur compounds), its advantage of sustainable production with the planet, the possible risks that must be taken into account at the time of its industrialization and the development of possible innovative products. This research allows us to know what the reality of edible insects is, and how their development will allow us to have a new future for the following generations.