This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
On a sunny day in November 2019, Dr. Faith Nyamu, a researcher at the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), spoke to Mercy Wahito about the many insects that can be kept for use as human food and animal feeds.
Dr. Nyamu emphasized the importance of getting knowledge and training on the insects one would like to keep. Icipe offers training in insect-rearing and provides starter packs (live insects) to trainees, with follow-up to ensure farmers improve their production.
One of the benefits of insect farming is that it requires little space, as the insects are kept in small buckets and basins. Most of the insects feed on organic matter, including kitchen waste, which is then converted to good compost and later used for farming.
Unlike animals and crops, which take longer to mature, insects take a maximum of two months to be ready for harvest. Very little water is needed to breed insects, making it a suitable option for communities in arid areas.
Dr. Nyamu also addressed concerns about the potential threat to local biodiversity. She explained that only a few insects are collected and mass-produced, which actually conserves biodiversity.
Some of the insects that farmers can keep include black soldier flies, crickets, long-horned grasshoppers, desert locusts, palm weevils, and African fruit beetles. Black soldier fly larvae contain high levels of crude protein that can be used to substitute protein in pig, chicken, dairy, and fish feeds.
Dr. Nyamu noted that insects can serve as alternative protein for humans, with high levels of protein and other nutrients that help boost immune systems. To reduce the terrifying mentality of eating insects wholly, they can be ground into powder and added to food, stew, porridge, or incorporated in cakes, cookies, and chocolates.
Cricket food products are the most popular, including cricket flour, cricket juice, and cricket powder. In Kenya, insects are a delicacy for communities in western Kenya, with grasshoppers, locusts, lake flies, and crickets being traditionally consumed as food.
For small-scale farmers seeking to venture into insect-farming, Dr. Nyamu advised starting small and expanding when fully conversant with rearing and production. She also encouraged working together with other farmers to increase supply.
