Healing Forests: How Odisha’s Tribes Use Edible Insects to Sustain Health and Harmony with Nature

Common Koel

12-10-2025

“Conservation without Dao is like a river without fish. The fish are not numbers. They are rhythms. I do not disturb the rhythm. I join it.”

In Kingfisherish Wandering [1]

© Wix

In the dense forests surrounding the Similipal Biosphere Reserve in Odisha, India, tribal communities have long relied on edible insects as a vital source of nutrition and medicine [2]. A recent study by Nayak et al. [3] documented 15 species of edible insects consumed by tribes such as the Santhal, Kolho, Bhumija, Khadia, and Bathudi, revealing how traditional ecological knowledge contributes not only to health but also to sustainable development and cultural resilience.

Through field surveys across three tribal-dominated blocks—Kusumi, Bangriposi, and Saraskana—the researchers found that insects like Oecophylla smaragdina (red weaver ant), Macrotermes subhyalinus (winged termite), Antheraea mylitta (Tasar silkworm), and Apis indica (honey bee) are commonly consumed for their rich nutritional and therapeutic properties. The tribes use them to treat ailments such as anemia, ulcers, joint pain, and even epilepsy [4,5]. Older villagers, particularly those above 60 years old, reported higher insect consumption and better overall health, suggesting strong links between diet, immunity, and longevity.

These insects are seasonally harvested, particularly during pre- and post-monsoon months, ensuring minimal ecological disruption. As the study notes, this traditional entomophagy not only supports nutrition security but also provides opportunities for sustainable livelihoods aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—notably Zero Hunger, Good Health, and Life on Land.

From a Nature Quotient (NQ) perspective [6], these tribal practices exemplify adaptive intelligence—the ability to coexist with nature’s complexity through respectful utilization rather than exploitation. By preserving the ecological balance while fulfilling human needs, these communities nurture what can be termed eco-surplus culture—a state where human well-being and biodiversity enrichment co-evolve. Their practices also foster individual and social peace, rooted in the harmony between humans and the natural systems sustaining them [7].

In a world facing nutritional insecurity and ecological degradation, the tribes of Mayurbhanj remind us that sustainability begins not with high technology but with ecological wisdom, passed down through generations in intimate dialogue with the living forest.

References

[1] Nguyen MH. (2025). Kingfisherish Wandering. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVLLLXNW/

[2] Dobermann D, Swift JA, Field LM. (2017). Opportunities and hurdles of edible insects for food and feed. Nutrition Bulletin, 42, 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12291 

[3] Nayak D, et al. (2025). Investigating the role of edible insects on tribal health and their application for sustainable development in Odisha, India. Discover Sustainability, 6, 707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01578-y

[4] Wilsanand V, Varghese P, Rajitha P. (2007). Therapeutics of insects and insect products in South Indian traditional medicine. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 6, 563–568.

[5] Kundu SC, et al. (2008). Natural protective glue protein, sericin bioengineered by silkworms: potential for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Progress in Polymer Science, 33, 998-1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2008.08.002

[6] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[7] Nguyen MH, Ho MT, La VP. (2025). On “An” (安): Inner peace through uncertainty, nature quotient, and harmony with Dao. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=NIKMEQAAQBAJ