Review: Ecosystem service indicators in insect farming − a novel One Health perspective

The global agrifood system faces growing pressure to meet increasing food demands, driving the need for sustainable agricultural practices that improve the efficiency and resilience of food systems. Insects play diverse socio-ecological roles that can be explained through the lens of ecosystem services (ES). Insect farming offers a sustainable strategy that supports food security, ecosystem balance, and agricultural resilience. The One Health (OH) framework, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health perspectives, provides a valuable approach to understanding and managing these contributions. This review explores four categories of ES provided by insect farming—support, provisioning, cultural, and regulation—which reflect the broad contributions of insects to ecological balance, health, and agrifood systems. These services position insect farming as a multifunctional tool for improving food systems and enhancing human, animal, and environmental health. However, despite its benefits, insect farming also faces challenges such as regulatory complexities, disease transmission risks, and potential environmental impacts, necessitating careful management. To measure the ES provided by insect farming, we synthesised insights from the literature and proposed a structured set of indicators aligned with the OH framework. These indicators aim to assess the benefits and challenges of insect farming, providing a foundation for evidence-based policies that maximise positive contributions to human, animal, and environmental health while minimising risks.