Have you ever thought about starting a mini-farm right in your own classroom or home? What about growing your own insects. Want to try your hand at raising crickets? Insects are easy to keep and maintain, plus they are a healthy, nutritious source food and are full of protein. By taking a few extra steps as you raise them, they can be safely eaten by people, pets or livestock. You’ll be able to feed them some of your kitchen scraps and reduce food waste and do your part in the farm-to-table movement. Growing your own insects is a great way for families and children to learn about the natural world and explore scientific principles at home. Best of all, growing your own insects isn’t difficult.
If you (or your pets) are going to consume the insects, there are a few extra steps that you need to take to stay safe. The main thing to be aware of is to provide your insects with clean, safe quality feed and take steps to be sure they have a sanitary, safe habitat. Also, before you eat the insects, bake them or take some other step to kill any germs that might have gotten on to them.
There are several great organizations that help teach beginners how to grow your own insects for human food or animal feed. Crickets and mealworms are the most common insects to use to start a mini-farm.
For basic information on how to start growing your own edible crickets, check out the Backyard Cricket Farming Blog by Austin Miller and Zoe Anton of CraftCrickets in Eugene, Oregon. It includes videos and basic information on cricket rearing, including:
Substrate for crickets to lay eggs at the bottom of the brooder. Image courtesy of CraftCrickets
Mealworms
Livin Farms has two patented models of mealworm farms for home production, the Hive and the Hive Explorer. Their website includes basic information on the mealworm life cycle, colony maintenance and harvesting, machine troubleshooting and mealworm preparation.
The Hive Explorer also provides a magazine about insects, food waste, chemistry and ecology, with specific information about the lifestages of the mealworms and topics like metamorphosis, photosynthesis of plants, and the nitrogen cycle. It also helps children devise their own chemistry experiments. Livin Farms also offers a Hive-based curriculum for schools.
The Hive Explorer offers an Explorer Educator Set and an Explorer School Set.
Bugible also has resources to help you start your own mealworm farm. Author Aly Moore covers the following topics:
Preparing a container
Adding feed
Sourcing your mealworms
Maintaining your colony
Harvesting your mealworms
There you have it.
Growing your own insects is a great way for students, families and potential insect farmers to learn about the natural world and explore scientific principles on a small scale. Explore this website to learn more about edible insects and their amazing benefits for providing high quality nutrition to a growing global population, reducing food insecurity and protecting the environment.
Insects are a traditional food in many parts of the world, and are highly nutritious. They are especially rich in proteins and are an excellent option for a food source for a growing human population. Protein content varies from 20-76% of dry matter depending upon the type and developmental stage of the insect.
There are many edible insects that provide a high quality energy and protein source, and meet the amino acid requirements for humans.
Insects are also rich sources of micronutrients. Some species of edible insects contain reasonable amounts of minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium and zinc. Insects also contain vitamins including B group vitamins, (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin and folic acid) as well as vitamins A, D, E, K and C. The micronutrient content is highly dependent on the quality of the insects’ feed.
“Caterpillars and meat play the same role in the human body.
As food, caterpillars are regulars in the village but meat is a stranger.”
Yansi saying from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Muyay, 1981
The US Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It is important to distinguish between hunger, which is a personal, physical sensation of discomfort related to lack of food, from food insecurity, which is related to a lack of financial resources to secure enough food.
Although hunger and malnutrition are commonly associated with populations in developing countries, food security is a problem throughout the world. Food insecurity may be associated with displacement due to natural disasters, job loss or families fleeing violence. In other locations throughout the world, food insecurity may occur at specific times of the year due to climate, or because of geopolitical factors.
According to the World Food Programme, there are an estimated 805 million people who are food insecure throughout the world. Of those, many suffer chronic malnutrition and malnourishment and rarely consume proteins or fats. Their diets mainly consist of carbohydrates in the forms of grains, vegetables and tubers.
Rice paddies in Ruang Bac Thang, Vietnam
If malnutrition or malnourishment is experienced by young children, the consequences can be life-altering. Chronic malnutrition can lead to stunting and is a risk-factor for increased susceptibility to illness, disease and death. Of the 150 million children worldwide who experience malnutrition, more than three fourths of those reside in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa.
Edible insects are an important consideration as a means to support our ever growing populations throughout the world. Projects that support traditional diets that include insects are crucial to improving food security. Traditional diets reduce dependence on unstable economic and geopolitical factors and are compatible with the local ecosystem and climate.
Girls with grasshoppers in Indonesia. Photo courtesy of FAO.
Because of the “yuck” factor associated with consuming insects in some cultures, particularly in European and some North American cultures, a better means to provide high quality protein for food-insecure populations in general is the utilization of insect flours to fortify traditional grain products.
A study at University of California, Pomona demonstrated the feasibility of fortifying a rice product, which is a major global food staple, with insect flour. Instead of promoting an edible insect product that contained the “whole insect body,” the final appearance of this food appeared as an extruded rice product. The researchers combined varying amounts of cricket and locust insect flour with rice flour and tested the nutritional composition of their products. They also surveyed potential consumers on the sensory acceptability of the final products. The product formulated with cricket flour scored well in terms of nutrition and in overall sensory acceptance by untrained panelists who were surveyed.
Extrusion is a food preparation method that is a common method of producing a variety of products, from cereals, pasta, soup and beverage bases, hot dogs, sausages, processed cheese and chewing gum. In the extrusion process, the product is generally cooked, mixed into a doughy mass, pushed through die holes, where it expands and rapidly cools.
Another project related to food security and edible insects is the modular edible insect farm by TerreForm, a nonprofit organization for philanthropic architecture, urban and ecological design, which serves as a dual-purpose shelter and modular insect farm in one structure. It is intended for a food crisis, where people will need access to good sources of alternative protein, but raising livestock will not be possible. In non-crisis situations, the structure can serve as a sophisticated and sanitary method of harvesting insects for the production of cricket flour and serve as a specialty restaurant or storehouse.
Besides grain products fortified with insect flour, a variety of other insect products have also made their way into the US market and have gained acceptance, including energy bars from Chapul and Chirps cricket chips. These types of products may be able to provide viable options to feed a growing global population and provide greater food security, even in places where “whole insect body” consumption is not currently a culturally acceptable practice.
“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”
Albert A. Bartlett, emeritus Professor of Physics at University of Colorado, Boulder
With increasing population growth and a limited amount of agricultural land, there is a pressing demand to find alternatives to conventional meat products. In 2050, the world population is estimated to exceed 9 billion people, resulting in an additional food need of 150% of the current food need. Current protein consumption relies heavily on livestock production, which is one of the leading causes of human-induced climate change.
To feed our growing population and limit climate change and carbon emissions, more sustainable diets are needed, either by reducing meat consumption or incorporating alternative protein sources. Insects are one of the best options for alternative protein, both as human food and as animal feed. The major environmental advantages of insect farming compared to livestock production include:
reduced use of land and water. “Breeding trials conducted by the EU initiative PROteInsect have found that one hectare of land could produce at least 150 tons of insect protein per year, as compared to less than a ton of soybeans for the same area.” (Zanolli, 2014)
lower greenhouse gas emissions
lower production of ammonia
reduced water pollution
reduced pesticide use
high feed conversion efficiencies by insects (i.e., a measure of the animal’s efficiency in converting food mass into body mass). A study by Van Huis et al. published in 2013 showed that the feed conversion of house crickets (Acheta domestica) was twice that of chickens, four times higher than in pigs and more than twelve times higher than in cattle.
the ability of insects to transform low-value organic by-products, such as compostible materials, into high-quality food and feed
low risk of transmitting zoonoses (infections that are shared between animals and people)
Arnold van Huis, J. van Itterbeeck, H. Klunder, E. Mertens, A. Halloran, G. Muir and P. Vantomme. Edible Insects, Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security FAO, Rome, 2013. 201 pages
The potential for cooking with edible insects is almost limitless! From adding cricket flour to baked goods, to sprinkling toasted ants on salads, to dissolving cricket powder in milk to make hot chocolate, the possibilities for adding healthy, natural, protein-rich nutrition to your diet are endless. Here we provide a small sampling of edible insect recipes. Try some and see what you like! A small selection of edible insect cookbooks follows the recipe list.
Maybe you’ve never thought much about insects, much less considered them as a sustainable food source for the world. But now you’re ready to learn more. Here are seven hand-selected videos to get you up to speed on the entomophagy movement. Enjoy!
Videos
Insects as Food
Should we eat bugs? By Emma Bryce
“What’s tasty, abundant and high in protein? Bugs! Although less common outside the tropics, entomophagy, the practice of eating bugs, was once extremely widespread throughout cultures. You may feel icky about munching on insects, but they feed about 2 billion people each day (Mmm, fried tarantulas). They also hold promise for food security and the environment. Emma Bryce makes a compelling case for dining on bugs.”
“Ever wondered how crickets will be farmed to feed hundreds of millions of people in the future? Here we offer the first inside look at our R&D facility in Austin, Texas, where we are leading the way, one cricket at a time.”
“We refuse to live in a world where food and nutrition insecurity abound, and we have the Audacity, Skills, Passion, Ingenuity, Rebelliousness, and commitment to Excellence (ASPIRE) to do something about it. Visit our website at http://www.aspirefg.com to learn more.”
International Conference: Insects to Feed the World 2014
“The first international conference on insects for food and feed brought over 450 participants from 45 countries together to discuss the state of the art in edible insect research, business and policy. Feed industry leaders, insect breeders, universities, NGOs and other stakeholders gathered for the first time, with a clear message – insects for feed and food are viable solution for the protein deficit problem. The conference was organized by Wageningen University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands.”
Can eating insects solve global issues in an ever-changing world? By Pat Crowley, TEDx SaltLakeCity
“Pat Crowley shares some surprising insight and fresh perspective on the unique and rare opportunity humans have at hand to change the course of history by simply changing our diet. Pat Crowley’s career path has taken him from surf guide, to whitewater rafting guide, to hydrologist, to now insect-eating entrepreneur, all driven for his passion to ensure a more sustainable water future. After having worked for public water-planning agencies, Pat decided to address the issue from the consumer level, when he co-founded Chapul in 2012. His mission now is to introduce insects into Western cuisine as more water-resource efficient form of food.”
“What’s your pet’s global paw print? Find out what the people at Yora have been doing to help you reduce your four legged friend’s effect on the environment.”
“Researcher Dennis Oonincx and his colleagues see the value in manure. They use it to grow insect larvae. This in turn offers a valuable protein source ánd environmental enrichment for chickens. More about our research: http://www.wur.eu/circularfood”
Latin America is an area of the world where insects are commonly consumed as part of traditional diets. Mexico and Brazil are two countries that are leading in the development of modern edible insect products. Last time, we took a look at some insects that are part of traditional Mexican diets. Let’s learn about some more today, and also look at edible insect consumption in South America.
Mexico has the world’s highest number of edible insects. Here are a few more of the products consumed in this country.
Cuchamás (green caterpillars)
Cuchamás are part of the indigenous diet in Mexico. These caterpillars of the Paradirphia fumosa moth (Saturniidae family) are harvested from green shrubs in August in the area south of Mexico City. The cuchamás are often boiled with lime, or fried with chile de arbol, lime and onion, and used as a taco filling.
Chapulines are the most common edible insects in Mexico. They are grasshoppers of the genus Sphenarium that are commonly eaten on the outskirts of Mexico City and in Oaxaca. They are usually harvested during the rainy season in the summer.
Within the past decade, many farmers that had been spending large amounts of money on pesticides to kill grasshoppers that were damaging their crops discovered that they could get more money by selling edible grasshoppers to urban restaurants and markets. Now, many of farmers are choosing to plant a cheaper variety of corn, which is simply used as bait for a edible grasshopper harvest.
Chapulines at a market in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Tierras Mayas
Chapulines usually served with a mild chili powder and lime juice and are high in protein. Chapulines have recently gained wider acceptance in North America, for example, at bug tasting events. Similarly, chapulines were offered at a Seattle’s Mariners game in 2017 and have gained wide popularity on social media.
Escarabajos (beetles)
There are eighty eight species of edible beetles reported in Mexico. The most common edible beetles are commonly called chahuis or xamoes, which are beetle larvae from the insect families Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthidae, and Passalidae that feed on the bean pods of the Mesquite tree. The chahuis must be roasted prior to consuming or they have a bitter flavor. Once roasted, they are known for having a fishy flavor.
Gourmet chocolates with insects for sale at the third Festival of Edible Insects in Mexico City on March 23, 2017. From left to right: chahui beetle, maguey worm, grasshopper and Atta ant. Photo courtesy of Ginnette Riquelme with the Christian Science Monitor.
South America
Within South America, Brazil has the highest number of edible insects that have been reported. A total of 135 types of edible insects have been reported in 14 of the 26 states of the Brazilian territory. Throughout South America, ants are one of the most commonly consumed insects.
Hormigas culonas
These ants, also called “big-bottomed ants”, are large, female leaf-cutter ants of the species Atta laevigata. They are harvested in the spring and are a regional delicacy and source of local pride in Santander, Colombia.
Hormigas culonas in Barichara, Colombia Photo courtesy of EatYourWorld
Hormigas culonas may be served after being fried with spices, or simply roasted with salt and served in small containers or bags as street food.
Iça
Iça is a winged female ant that is usually from the Atta species, which are found in tropical regions of Brazil. The female ants are harvested during the spring to early summer when they leave their colonies for reproductive flights. This is an indigenous food but has gained popularity in restaurants in urban areas. Iça are prepared by roasting the abdomens of the female ants over a wood fire, toasting them with pork fat or frying them. They may be eaten alone or as a side dish with meat or fish. They are sometimes served with cassava flour or toasted manioc flour in a dish called “farofa”.
Farofa de iça: toasted manioc flour with queen ants’ abdomen. Photograph by Heriberto Araújo in The Guardian
Brazil does not yet have laws regulating the use of insects for human consumption, but only as animal feed. Several years ago, a group of professionals from different sectors came together and founded ASBRACI – Brazilian Association of Insect Breeders, which seeks to advocate for the regulation of insects for human consumption.
From November 6-9, 2019, the first Brazilian Conference on Insects as Food and Food, and the second Brazilian Symposium of Anthropo-Entomophagy took place in Montes Clara, Brazil. The meetings not only reviewed traditional knowledge about edible insects, but also mini-farming, processing, trade and regulation to promote edible insects as a sustainable source of food and feed, to divert waste streams and prevent contamination of the environment, and attract private investment.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about the use of edible insects in traditional diets? Check out Wayne State University Anthropologist Julie Lesnik’s book, “Edible Insects and Human Evolution“
Latin America is an area of the world where insects are commonly consumed as part of traditional diets. Countries where edible insects are a large part of indigenous diets are Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. Of those, Mexico and Brazil are countries that are leading in the development of modern edible insect products. Grasshoppers and crickets are the most commonly consumed insects in this region. They are consumed raw, roasted, wrapped in leaves, fried, baked, and smoked.
Mexico
Mexico has the world’s highest number of edible insects. Let’s take a closer look at some of the products consumed in this country.
Maguey worms, known as meocuiles, are caterpillars of a butterfly commonly named “tequila giant skipper,” Aegiale hesperiaris. These grubs are most commonly seen at the bottom of mescal bottles. Mescal is an alcoholic drink made from the maguey plant and gusanos feed on the leaves of the maguey plant. Gusanos are ground up and used in sal de gusano, which is a spice mix of salt and dried gusano worms. It can be sprinkled on meat or other foods for flavor. Pan-fried gusano worms are also served as a snack, with a side of guacamole.
Maguey worms, which have been part of the indigenous diet for centuries, are now also harvested and sold for high prices in cities and can be found on the menu at expensive restaurants.
Maguey Plant. Photo courtesy of G4t0t0t3 on Pixabay
Jumiles are small stink bugs usually of the species Atizies taxcoensis. They are native to the Taxco region of the state of Guerrero in Mexico. Any edible Hemiptera from the families Coreidae or Pentatomidae may be considered jumiles as well. Their diet includes the leaves of the encina (Quercus ilex) tree. Live or roasted jumiles with lime are served in tacos. They have a strong flavor and can be both slightly sweet and bitter.
Chicatanas (giant winged ants)
Chicatanas are large red ants with wings that emerge once a year. The chicatana ant (Atta mexicana) creates enormous colonies with complex and extremely functional hierarchical structures in large ant hills. These insects come out of their hills during the first major rains of the year and can be gathered only during this period. During the emergence, they are pan cooked while live, and are eaten without condiments. After the harvest, the insects are roasted so that they dry out and lose their wings.
Locals fry the ants with lime then grind them into a paste with chili, salt and garlic. This traditional Oaxacan sauce has a smoky, charred flavor and velvety texture and is called salsa de chicatanas. It is served as a spread on tortillas topped with beans and cheese.
Read more about chicatanas in Susanna Rigg’s story on this Oaxacan delicacy in her 2017 story published in BBC Travel: A sauce made from Flying Ants
Escamoles (ant larvae)
In the areas around Puebla and Mexico City, the edible larvae and pupae of ants of the species Liometopum apiculatum and L. occidentale var. luctuosum are served in the spring.
Escamoles were once considered a delicacy by the Aztecs. The ant larvae and pupae are harvested from maguey plants. They resemble white-corn kernels or pine nuts and have a nutty taste and crunchy texture if fried.
Escamoles are served after being fried with garlic, onion and butter. Escamoles are eaten in tacos and omelets or served alone, with a side of guacamole and tortillas.
Escamoles, which have been part of the indigenous diet for centuries, are now also harvested and sold for high prices in cities and can be found on the menu at expensive restaurants.
Ahuatle (water-fly eggs)
Ahuatle is a dish made from eggs of insects in the Notonectidae family. Ahuatle is a word from the indigenous Nahuatle language that means “fly eggs”. In the past it was a traditional dish that was considered a delicacy by the Aztec emperors.
The eggs used to make ahuatle are collected in March, April and May, when the water-fly lays eggs on plants that grow on the banks of rivers and in lagoons. Some collectors use traps made of hay or tulle which they leave in the water so that the bugs lay their eggs directly on these, making the eggs easier to gather.
The eggs are prepared either in a skillet or are used to make savory pies, with either pumpkin or zucchini and hot pepper. The finished product tastes similar to shrimp paste.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about the use of edible insects in traditional diets? Check out Wayne State University Anthropologist Julie Lesnik’s book, “Edible Insects and Human Evolution“
Insects have great potential to be used for animal feed throughout the world. Using protein from insects in animal feed has many advantages, including the following:
Insect protein can be produced in the quantities necessary for the feed supply chain
Insect raised for feed can be fed a specific diet (substrate) to ensure optimal nutritional quality and safety
Insects can be raised for feed in local markets, reducing dependence on international markets and price fluctuations
Protein from insect feed has a lower environmental footprint than feed from traditional animal agriculture
Insect feed is free from the social and political concerns about GMOs in the food chain
Insect-based feed promotes a circular agricultural economy, in which nutrients from agricultural “waste” (such as compost) can be utilized as substrate for insects, thus creating an edible protein source and a fertilizer by-product.
Operating within a circular agricultural economy has tremendous advantages, economically, ecologically and environmentally, as it diverts waste streams and creates valuable food and fertilizer. However, it also requires particular safeguards, particularly around the wholesomeness and quality of substrate provided for the insects, and to ensure that Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies are not allowed to contaminate the supply chain.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) are progressive, transmissible and fatal disease caused by a “prion” agent, that affect the central nervous system of both animals and humans. There is no known treatment for TSEs. TSEs have a long incubation period, which is then followed by a symptomatic stage associated with neurological decline.
There are multiple known TSEs, including:
Scrapie, which affects small ruminants such as sheep and goats, first described in the 18th Century
Transmissible Encephalopathy of the Mink (TEM)
Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids (CWD) found in North America
Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy (FSE)
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), first identified in the UK in 1986
Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans
Kuru in humans, associated with cannibalism practices in tribal Papua New Guinea
Fatal Familial Insomnia in humans
new variant of CJD in humans, first described in 1996
Scientific investigation of BSE indicates that it originated in the 1980s when infected bone meal was introduced into the feed supply through a process that allowed the infectious prion agent to survive the bone meal processing steps. As a result of this, the European Commission instituted a feed ban that prohibited animal protein in feed. In particular, the use of processed animal protein, gelatin and collagen from ruminants were considered to carry the highest risk.
Some exceptions to the feed ban were made, however, based on a recognition that some raw materials with animal origin are safe for certain animals and do not carry a risk of transmitting TSEs. In June 2017, an amendment was made to allow processed animal proteins originating from insects in feed for aquaculture animals. On the basis of that decision, seven species of insects were approved for use in feed in the European Union.
In order to reduce the risk of contaminants in feed made from insect protein, it is important to use the appropriate insect species and substrate for growing larvae, to separate and harvest the proper life stage, and to process the insects for feed in a hygienic manner.
Insects for use as Feed
Insect species that show the most potential for rearing for use in animal feed include the following.
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)
Housefly (Musca domestica)
Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)
House cricket Acheta domesticus)
Silkworm (Bombyx mori)
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)
Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis)
Tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)
These species contain nutritional value that is similar to current animal feed, depending on the quality of the substrate on which they are grown and the life stage that is harvested. Below is an overview of the chain of insect production, showing the life stages that would be harvested for each individual insect species, and the sampling stages, as well as the final products that could be obtained at the end of the production cycle.
There is the potential to replace significant amounts of the soymeal and feeder fish feed that is currently used in livestock production with insect protein from the species listed above. Insect protein can supplement the feed for farmed fish, poultry, pigs, and pets, especially reptiles.
Below is a link from the FAO, showing the Hangzhou Tianyuan Agriculture Company, which rears fly larvae on pig manure to produce chicken feed protein. The Power Point includes a summary video showing Prof. ZhiJian Zhang, PhD from the Zhejiang University, HangZhou, China.
There is also great potential in aquaculture to use insect protein as feed for fish sold as human food. There have been cases of raising Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhychus mykiss) on insect feed.
Research continues on specific diet formulations, type of feed substrates, and the performance of food animals that are raised on insect feed.
Did you know that insects are an important part of traditional diets throughout the African continent? Over 2 billion people in the world currently consume insects as some part of their diets. Consuming insects provides a high quality source of protein and micronutrients. It is a part of a sustainable diet and promotes food security.
The African continent has the richest biodiversity of edible insects in the world, with more than 500 species that are consumed as part of traditional diets. Africa is also the continent where entomophagy, or insect consumption by humans, is most common. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa are the countries where insect consumption is most common.
Indigenous communities for which insect consumption is a particularly important part of the diet include the Mofu people living at the border between Cameroon and Nigeria, the Nganda people living in the tropical forests in the forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Bushmen in Namibia and South Africa.
Hotspots of edible insects in Africa. Image courtesy of Saliou Niassy Project Manager, University of Pretoria, Post Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Pretoria
The most commonly consumed types of insects consumed on the African continent are caterpillars (Lepidoptera) including mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina), grasshoppers, locusts, crickets (Orthoptera), termites (Isoptera), ants and bees (Hymenoptera), true bugs (Heteroptera and Homoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) including palm weevil larvae.
Most of the edible insects consumed in Africa are harvested from the wild. However, several projects in which insects are mass produced or farmed have recently been developed. This promotes insect consumption in the wider community, creates local jobs, and promotes food security.
Projects to Promote Traditional Diets
Endoki: Cricket powder
Cricket powder is a product made of ground crickets that can be used in a wide variety of finished products, from baked goods to pasta to smoothies. Endoki is a modern, urban farming project which sells live crickets and cricket flour, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Endoki black cricket powder
Mopane Queens: Mopane Worms
Mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina) are a species of emperor moth native to southern Africa. They feed primarily on mopane tree leaves and are an important source of protein for millions of people in the region. They are being commercially produced and packaged by Mopane Queens, based in South Africa.
Mopani Queens produced in South Africa.
Aspire Food Group Ghana: Palm Weevils
Aspire Food Group Ghana started a palm weevil farming project to promote insect farming, food security and small business growth. Aspire Food Group won the $1,000,000 2013 Hult Prize at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City and is currently the global industry leader in the edible insect movement. Watch a video about the Aspire Food Group Ghana project here:
Aspire Food Group introduced the farming of palm weevil larvae to communities in Ghana, supporting traditional diets with new technology.
Other projects to support the domestication and farming of palm weevil larvae have taken place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, funded by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and in Cameroon. These projects worked to train farmers on how to raise palm weevil larvae for human consumption, which also resulted in reduced clearing of palm forest during palm weevil harvest.
FasoPro: Cirina caterpillars and locusts
The company FasoPro based in Burkina Faso has developed several products for market using Cirina sp. caterpillars and locusts. They have an inclusive business model that is committed to supporting the local community. This company has trained 500 women to collect caterpillars, has 360 points of sale in 25 different cities throughout Burkina Faso, and has contributed significantly to the local economy.
Another project through the AgriFoSe2030 (funded by the Swedish International Development Agency) has promoted the integrated use of insects as food in urban areas of Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This project worked to improve the poor hygiene standards that made the cricket (Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus) products undesirable to many urban consumers. Specific interventions included training among farmers and traders to improve food safety, especially during post-harvest processing.
The project also focused on maintaining clean market facilities, and ensuring a steady supply of insects that are not dependent on seasonal supply. It encouraged building up a supply of farmed insects products rather than relying on insects harvested from the wild, which can deplete wild insect populations and affect the local ecosystem. The project developed a model market structure that can be replicated by other local edible insect businesses. The model sells wild harvested mopane worms, termites and crickets.
Finally, insects can be used for not only human food but also animal feed. Talash Huijbers started TerraSol Farm in Red Hill, Kiambu County, Kenya in an effort to provide affordable proteins for livestock. Huijbers has a degree in International Food and Agribusiness from HAS University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, where she discovered that the common source of protein in animal feeds is fish, which is dwindling due to overfishing and pollution.
She realized that she could provide livestock farmers with an affordable, sustainable alternative by growing black soldier flies, which have high levels of protein. Black soldier flies are one of the world’s most recommended sources of protein for animal feeds. At TerraSol Farm, the black soldier fly larvae are fed organic waste material such as tomatoes and potato, oranges and mango peels, which are collected from local hotels and juice producers in special waste bins.
In 2019, TerraSol Farm produced approximately six tonnes of crushed black soldier fly product that was sold to local poultry and cattle producers.
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Susteinance: Exploring Options for Sustainable Protein 