Thomas Weigel

Project Manager Mini-Livestock

VWB/VSF-Canada

Nabong, Laos

Small-scale farming of Edible Insects

& Potential Contributions to Community Nutrition

in Southeast Asia (SEA)

Outline of the Presentation

1. Insect consumption: where, why & barriers

2. Insect farming: Sustainable Development & Food/Nutrition Security

3. VWB‘s Cricket Rearing Project in Laos

4. Value-Added Insect Products

5. Challenges to Insect Farming & Products

6. Conclusions & Recommendations

1. Cricket farming: an innovative approach of adressing food & nutrition insecurity & a sustainable livelihoods activity, which takes climate change into account

2. Insect-based products – new products with potential for additional income & nutrition

3. Development community has to address challenges

Key messages of this presentation

Context of the Presentation

• Increasing world population & increasing demand for animal-based protein• FAO estimates: 70% increase of food production to feed 9 billion by 2050

• Animal feed production increasingly competing for natural resources with human food, fuel production & urbanization

• Limits of conventional livestock production (e.g. land conversion), decrease of people active in agriculture• 70% of agricultural land used directly/indirectly for meat production

• Inter-linkages between agricultural/livestock production & climate change

• Prevailing food & nutrition insecurity (62% of world‘s undernourished live in Asia)

Eating Insects – World wide

• Worldwide 2 billion people eat insects- 1,900 edible insect species

• 97% of children & adults in Laos eat insects

Myth: Insects = Emergency food

Fact: People love eating insects!

Insect Trading at Dong Maakhai Market, Laos

Insect species traded

Stinkbugs Water scavangers Bamboo worms Mole cricket

Weaver ant pupae Grasshoppers Grasshopper (big) Beetles

Stinkbugs Water scavangers Bamboo worms Mole cricket

Beetles

Stinkbugs Water scavangers Bamboo worms Mole cricket

Weaver ant pupae Grasshoppers Grasshopper (big) Beetles

Stinkbugs Water scavangers Bamboo worms Mole cricketStinkbugs Water scavangers Bamboo worms

Sales of Insects at Nong Xeuam Restaurant

Eating Insects – High Income Countries

People more reserved...

But...

• In Japan, insects part of traditional diets

• In Italy, Croatia & Germany: cheese with insects!

Moreover, ...

... changes are happening

Increased attention by scientific & development community

Insects & products: novel & exotic food in Europe & the US

Why promote eating of insects?

1. They are tasty! 2 billion people love to eat them!

2. Health

• Healthy & nutritious: rich in protein, fat & micronutrients

• 64.5 mill. ppl. undernourished in SEA

• Laos: 50% of children <5 yrs stunted

• Micronutrient deficiencies: 40% of children <5 yrs. anaemic & vitamin A deficient in Laos

3. Environment

• Climate friendly & land-independent production

• Efficient food conversion

FAO/INFOODS. (2013). FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for Biodiversity Version 2.1 –BioFoodComp2.1 (pp. 1-31). Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3560e/i3560e.pdf

Barriers to insect consumptionLimited availability of wild insects

• Most edible insects collected from nature

• Dependent on season

• High demand

• Environmental factors

Limited accessibility of wild insects

• Time: Women involved in household, childcare & other duties

• Insects are expensive

Utilization issues related to wild insects

• Chemical risks: pesticides, heavy metals & other toxines

• Parasitical risks: intestinal flukes in water insects & beetles (raw consumption)

The solution...1. A sustainable livelihoods activity, which

also takes climate change into account!

2. Improves food & nutrition security at the household level & has the potential to go beyond!

Insect Farming

Insect Farming: a sustainable livelihoods activity

1. Economically sustainable• Low capital input• Frequent income within short time• Potential for value-added products

2. Socially sustainable • Culturally accepted: insects already part of

traditional diets• Inclusive: pro-poor, suitable for vulnerable groups,

urban & rural

3. Environmentally sustainable • Climate-friendly production• No land conversion/degradation• Preservation of wild insect populations

4. Climate change considerate• Prevention: complementary protein supply• Adaptation: less impacted by climate-related events• Mitigation: shorter-term availability of nutrients as

compared to other agricultural activties (45 days)

Insect Farming: a sustainable livelihoods activity

Insect Farming for Food & Nutrition Security

1. Increased availability• Sufficient amount of insects the whole year• Enables production of insect-based products

2. Increased accessibility • No need to buy; often gifted to relatives/friends;

sold at lower price in rural areas• No need to collect (women)• Insect-based products & fortified foods reach

wider range of consumers• Income generation: more money available to

buy food

Insect Farming for Food & Nutrition Security

3. Improved Utilization• Production in controlled environment = less

hazards• Fosters home gardening = source of feed • Promotion together with health/nutrition

education

Main Partner

• Faculty of Agriculture/National University of Laos

Activities

• Consultation & Farm visit

• Workshops & Trainings

• Mentoring

Successes to date

• 15 families running cricket farms – 14 women!

• 110kg harvest in August!

VWB‘S Cricket Rearing Project

Cage construction

Cricket RearingActivities• Farmer-2-Farmer exchange

• Workshops & Trainings

• Mentoring

Successes to date• 15 families running cricket farms

• 110kg harvest in August!

Food processingHealthy diets

Cricket farming & lifecycle

Setting up cagesVisit of cricket farm

Setting up the cricket farms

40 days later...

Insect products

Value-added products

• Income opportunity & benefits for nutrition

• Thailand = showcase

Fortified foods

• Micronutrient-rich foods for complementary feeding of infants/young children

• E.g. WinFood Cereals

Cricket products

Exploring products• Fried crickets

• Chili sauce with crickets

• Cricket chips

• Cricket noodles

Workshop on cricket processing

Frying the crickets

Adding spices Bamboo soup + crickets

Enjoying the food together

Training on Healthy Diets

Cricket menu• Cricket soup• Spicy-sour cricket salad (yam)• Cricket larb

Challenges to Insect Farming& Products

Limited experiences• ... with other insect species

• ... with production of insect-based products

Economic issues• Commercial chicken feed expensive

• Acessing markets outside rural areas difficult

• Limited facilities to produce range of value-added products

Ethical conflicts• Human food vs. animal feed production

• Supply for local consumers vs. export

Conclusions & Recommendations

Insect farming is a culturally appropriate means to improve food & nutrition security

Insect products have big potential for additional income & nutritious food

1. Pilot studies to adress knowledge gaps• Suitable insect species & rearing techniques

• Low-cost alternative to commercial chicken feed (e.g. Moringa)

• Value-added products suitable for village production

2. Explore options for food fortification

3. Investment & Support• Development of village production facilities (grants, investment, suitable public SME-

development programs)

• Marketing support

Conclusions & Recommendations

4. Knowledge exchange

• Set up communities of practice & share best pratices/lessons learned

5. Promote benefits of insect farming for local communities

• Ensure that food/nutrition security for poorer people are kept in focus & not become secondary to promoting export & feed production for livestock

Conclusions & Recommendations

Thanks to all our partners, funders and my colleagues Sonia Fèvre, Dr. Malavanh, Dr. Bounpheng, Dr. Thonglom, Dr. Sayvisene and Dr. Daovy for making this work possible!

VWB/VSFhttps://www.vetswithoutborders.cahttps://www.facebook.com/VetswithoutBordershttp://blog.vetswithoutborders.ca

Thomas WeigelEmail: thomas@vetswithoutborders.caTwitter: VWB_VSF_Insects

Thank you for your attention!

Any Questions?

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