Nature’s “Free Lunch”: The Contribution of Edible Insects to Food and Nutrition Security in the Central Highlands of Madagascar

Abstract

Edible insects are a healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly protein alternative. Thanks to their quantitative and qualitative protein composition, they can contribute to food security, especially in Africa, where insects have been consumed for centuries. Most insects are still harvested in the wild and used for household consumption. So far, however, little attention has been paid to insects’ real contribution to food security in low-income countries. Entomophagy, the human consumption of insects, is widespread in many rural areas of Madagascar, a country, at the same time, severely affected by chronic malnutrition. This case study was carried out in a region where entomophagy based on wild harvesting is a common practice and malnutrition is pervasive. The data were obtained in 2020 from a survey among 216 households in the rural commune of Sandrandahy in the central highlands of Madagascar. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis were used to show the relative importance of insects for the local diet and to test various hypotheses related to food security. Results show that insects contribute significantly to animal protein consumption, especially in the humid season, when other protein sources are scarce. They are a cheap protein source, as much esteemed as meat by the rural population. There are no significant differences in the quantities of insects consumed by poorer versus richer households, nor between rural and urban households. Insect consumption amounts are strongly related to the time spent on wild harvesting. The importance of edible insects for poor, food-insecure rural areas and how entomophagy can be promoted for better food and nutrition security are discussed.

Edible Insects Consumption in Africa towards Environmental Health and Sustainable Food Systems: A Bibliometric Study

“…On the other hand, caterpillars have been noted to contain a high percentage of protein, fat, unsaturated fatty acids, mineral salts (iron, calcium and zinc) and various categories of vitamins [ 12 , 20 , 28 ]. A 100g sample of caterpillars was found to contain 76% of the daily nutrient intake requirements of adults [ 65 ].…”

“…In 2015, Sub-Saharan Africa contributed to a third of undernourished children globally [ 10 ], while 14 million were estimated to be experiencing conditions characterised by acute malnutrition [ 11 ]. Meanwhile, in the southern Africa region, Madagascar has been experiencing child-stunted growth and malnutrition, as one-third of men and women are anaemic [ 12 ]. This, therefore, shows that there is an urgent need to identify sustainable food systems with the capacity to produce sufficient food quantities to meet the needs of the growing population [ 7 ], while having minimal environmental destruction, for example, entomography.…”

“…To prepare the grasshopper for consumption, the head and digestive parts are removed [ 49 ]. Furthermore, edible insects contain proteins, as their bodies are composed of 35% to 70% of dry matter [ 12 ], and most can be consumed after being boiled, roasted or fried, or even in their raw form [ 5 ]. Across cultures, edible insects are mostly consumed as a relish or as snacks after main meals.…”

Barriers, risks and risk management strategies in European insect supply chains

“…Lower-income people in South Africa consume more edible insects, most likely because they save money on food when insects are readily available (Egan, 2013). Similarly, Dürr and Ratompoarison (2021) found no significant differences in insect consumption between poorer and wealthier families in Madagascar highlands because insects are not purchased but instead collected in the wild. Meanwhile, in China and Kenya, income does not affect the frequency of consumption of edible insects (Liu et al, 2020;Carolyne, 2018).…”

Interest in Insects as Food and Feed: It Does Not Wane in the Public Domain

“…A more traditional investigation was that by Dürr and Ratompoarison [ 20 ], who provided evidence for the importance of food insects in the local diet of rural communities in the central highlands of Madagascar. The investigation showed that the insects contributed significantly to the animal protein uptake of the local population, especially in the humid season, when other protein sources were scarce.…”