Toward a regional regulatory framework for edible insects in Latin America: opportunities and challenges

Edible insects are increasingly recognized as sustainable protein sources capable of contributing to global food security and climate-aligned dietary transitions. However, their integration into formal food systems depends not only on techno-functional validation but, critically, on regulatory frameworks that ensure safety, traceability, and consumer confidence. While Europe and parts of Asia have established regulatory mechanisms, Latin America—despite its high biocultural diversity and entomophagy heritage—remains largely excluded from these governance structures, resulting in informality, limited investment, and marginalization from high-value markets. This Perspective aims to stimulate dialogue on how Latin America might design context-sensitive governance pathways for edible insects. It argues that regulation, when conceived as a tool for inclusion and sovereignty rather than mere control, can articulate four complementary pillars: science-based safety standards, cultural recognition, digital traceability, and regional cooperation. A practical roadmap is proposed to guide regulatory evolution through phased implementation—from baseline assessment and multi-stakeholder engagement to the establishment of adaptable, science-based standards and continuous regulatory improvement. Positioning edible insect governance within broader sustainability and food sovereignty agendas could enable Latin America to shift from being a passive biodiversity provider to an active normative contributor in global food policy. Conversely, regulatory inertia risks deepening exclusion and allowing external standards to dictate the future of the region’s biocultural resources. By framing regulation as a space for negotiated governance rather than top-down enforcement, this discussion opens a strategic conversation toward inclusive, culturally grounded, and future-oriented insect policy frameworks.