Dr. Dadan Hindayana, Chairman of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and entomologist from IPB University's Department of Plant Protection, stated at a media gathering on December 18, 2025, that insects have the potential to become Indonesia's sustainable protein source of the future due to their efficiency and low environmental impact.
Dadan emphasized that "crickets and grasshoppers are the most superior in terms of nutrition and protein," noting that crickets are already being processed into various snacks and are quite popular, with products like cricket chips widely sold and even popular in England, while grasshoppers are being farmed on a large scale in China.
According to Dadan, insects can produce protein with far more efficient feed usage—six times more efficient than beef, four times more than lamb, and twice as efficient as chicken—adding that "if we can utilize insects as a protein source, this will become a more environmentally friendly protein source for the future".
Edible insects in Indonesia include crickets (jangkrik), grasshoppers (belalang), teak caterpillars (ulat jati), and winged termites (laron), with regional traditions already incorporating grasshoppers in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, and sago worms in Papua as part of local diets.
However, IPB University entomology researcher Prof. Purnama Hidayat noted that while insects can be an alternative protein source, especially for people experiencing malnutrition, insect consumption is more suitable for groups already accustomed to consuming them, as food preferences are largely determined by cultural habits passed down from parents to children.
