Editing Migratory locust (section)

==Relationship with humans==

===Economic impact===
[[File:Die Gartenlaube (1875) b 585.jpg|thumb|left|Adult female (top), adult male (bottom left), fifth instar nymph (bottom right)]]
Locusts are highly mobile, and usually fly with the wind at a speed of about {{convert|15|to|20|km/h}}. Swarms can travel 5 to 130&nbsp;km or more in a day. Locust swarms can vary from less than one square kilometre to several hundred square kilometres with 40 to 80 million individuals per square kilometre. An adult locust can consume its own weight (several grams) in fresh food per day. For every million locusts, one ton of food is eaten.

In Africa, the last serious widespread plague of ''[[Locusta migratoria migratorioides|L. m. migratorioides]]'' occurred from 1928 to 1942. Since then, environmental transformations have made the development of swarms from the African migratory locust unlikely. Nevertheless, potential outbreaks are constantly monitored as plagues can be devastating.
The Malagasy migratory locust (''L. m. capito'') still regularly swarms (roughly twice every ten years). The [[desert locust]], which is very similar to the African migratory locust, remains a major threat too.

Locust survey and control are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture in locust-affected countries and are operations undertaken by national locust units. The [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) of the [[United Nations]] provides information on the general locust situation to all interested countries and gives warnings and forecasts to those countries in danger of invasion.

===As food ===
The migratory locust is an [[edible insects|edible insect]].<ref name=Oonincx>{{cite journal |last=Oonincx |first=Dennis G. A. B. |author2=van Itterbeeck, Joost |author3=Heetkamp, Marcel J. W. |author4=van den Brand, Henry |author5=van Loon, Joop J. A. |author6=van Huis, Arnold |author7=Hansen, Immo A. |title=An Exploration on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Production by Insect Species Suitable for Animal or Human Consumption |journal=PLOS ONE |date=29 December 2010 |volume=5 |issue=12 |pages=e14445 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0014445 |pmid=21206900 |pmc=3012052|bibcode=2010PLoSO...514445O |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>[http://orbi.ulg.ac.be/bitstream/2268/153905/1/chap15.pdf Barsics, F., 2010. L'alimentation des Populations locales de Madagascar productrices de Vers à Soie. - Univ. de Liège.: 1-84.]</ref> In Europe, the migratory locust is officially approved for the use in food in [[Switzerland]] (since May 2017).<ref>Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen (2017-04-28): [https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/de/home/lebensmittel-und-ernaehrung/lebensmittelsicherheit/einzelne-lebensmittel/insekten.html#-399311545 "Insects as food"] (German only)</ref> On 2 July 2021, the [[European Food Safety Agency]] published a scientific opinion stating that the consumption of migratory locust in frozen, dried or ground state is safe for humans.<ref>EFSA (2 July 2021): ''[https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6667 Safety of frozen and dried formulations from migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) as a Novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283].'' In: EFSA Journal. Vol. 19, Issue 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6667.</ref> On 12 November 2021, the EU member states gave their green light for the EU Commission to authorize the placing on the market of migratory locust as a food. This is one of the final steps in the [[novel food]] authorization procedure. As a next step, the Commission will now adopt a legal act.<ref>European Commission (2 November 2021): ''[https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/novel-food/authorisations/approval-second-insect-novel-food_de Approval of second insect as a Novel Food]''.</ref>