Preventing the next invasion: Lessons from aquaculture for the safe expansion of insect farming

Eléna Manfrini (), Franck Courchamp (), Boris Leroy () and Åsa Berggren
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Eléna Manfrini: BOREA - Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques - MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UA - Université des Antilles, ESE - Ecologie, Société et Evolution (ex-Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution) - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Franck Courchamp: BOREA - Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques - MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - SU - Sorbonne Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UA - Université des Antilles
Boris Leroy: ESE - Ecologie, Société et Evolution (ex-Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution) - AgroParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Åsa Berggren: SLU - Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences = Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

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Abstract: Insect farming is rapidly emerging as a sustainable alternative to conventional livestock, praised for its lower environmental impact and potential to enhance food system resilience. Yet, the ecological risks of large‐scale insect cultivation remain underexamined—especially the threat of biological invasions following unintentional escapes. This synthesis examines current knowledge of invasion pathways from both terrestrial and aquatic farming systems, drawing on the well‐documented case of aquaculture to identify lessons for the insect farming sector. We highlight shared risk factors across sectors, including the widespread farming of species with invasive traits, production outside native ranges and insufficient management frameworks. Aquaculture of crustaceans, as a close taxonomic and ecological analogue, illustrates how poorly managed industrial growth can result in significant ecological and economic costs. Policy implications : We argue that preemptive risk assessments, species screening and transferable, adaptive regulatory frameworks developed for aquaculture offer a critical foundation for safeguarding against insect‐driven invasions. Proactive governance that embeds these safeguards before large‐scale expansion offers a rare opportunity to prevent invasion outcomes observed in other farmed taxa and to guide the insect farming sector towards genuinely sustainable growth. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog .

Keywords: policies; prevention; sustainable farming; sustainable food production; management; insect farming; biological invasions; aquaculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05555164v1
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Published in Journal of Applied Ecology, 2026, 63 (2), pp.e70311. ⟨10.1111/1365-2664.70311⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05555164

DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.70311

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