Edible

Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushrooms, insects, seaweed, and so forth – are referred to as edible.

[2] Edible plants found in nature include flowers, seeds, berries, seaweed, and cacti.

Many animals are also edible, including domesticated livestock as well as wild insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

[4] Advocates of the increase in consumption of edible insects cite the environmental benefits of being able to raise more food using less land while producing fewer greenhouse emissions.

More than 1,900 insect species have been documented as being used for food, including ants and beetle larvae in the diets of some African and Australian tribes, and crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed as street food in parts of Thailand.