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icipe and the UN's FAO are encouraging Kenyan farmers to delve into insect farming. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

icipe: Helps African farmers take insect farming to the next level

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    The UN’s concept of water security encompasses various needs and conditions. These include: water for drinking, economic activity, ecosystems, governance, financing, and political stability. Water security, therefore, is not just about how much natural water a country has but also how well the resource is managed. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Africa’s water security progress a drop in the ocean

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    Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

    Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

    Let’s keep our food local, says farmer and agri trainer

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  • Home
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    The UN’s concept of water security encompasses various needs and conditions. These include: water for drinking, economic activity, ecosystems, governance, financing, and political stability. Water security, therefore, is not just about how much natural water a country has but also how well the resource is managed. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Africa’s water security progress a drop in the ocean

    Nestlé East and Southern Africa (ESAR) has created the Nestlé Needs Youth (NNY) Agri Competition where participants stand the chance of winning mentorship opportunities and a cash prize of US$30 000. Photo: Pixabay

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    Catherine Kamanu believes that "farming smart" is the way to go, and prioritises working with nature instead of against it. Photo: Supplied/Catherine Kamanu

    Kenyan farmer proudly soldiers on, gumboots and all

    Many are moving away from West Africa because they relied on the small-scale fishing industry to survive. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

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    The full 100% of the Gorongosa-grown coffee's profits are ploughed back into the National Park and those who live in the surrounds. Photo: Gorgonosa Project/Supplied

    How coffee is bringing life back to Mozambican forests

    Nile co-founder Louis de Kock said the start-up is delighted to have Naspers Foundry support its mission to make fresh produce more accessible to people across the African continent. Photo: Supplied/Ventureburn

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    Annita Mutoni is a young poultry farmer in Rwanda, and is finding her stride within the industry. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Rwandan poultry farmer sets her sights far beyond chicken coops

    AB InBev Africa has implemented five different agriculture projects in the countries where it makes beer. This includes project Imifino in South Africa where water, heat, and anaerobic sludge waste streams produced by the brewery is converted into agricultural inputs which sustain wetlands and spinach beds. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Five farming projects that enhance food security across Africa

  • Changemakers
    • All
    • Agribusiness
    • Agripreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Innovation
    Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

    Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

    Let’s keep our food local, says farmer and agri trainer

    Within the next ten years, AFEX intends to grow beyond Kenya to Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Kenyan farmers take quantum leap with help from AFEX

    FAO counts on 55 implementing partners for community distributions across the country. Photo: ©FAO/Mayak Akuot

    FAO in a race against time to plant in South Sudan

    The course is a 6-week intense program given in three 2-week sessions at IITA in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by B4A/ILRI hub and World Agroforestry, over the course of a year, with a maximum of 20 participants per course offering. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Crop scientists invited to have a crack at gene editing

    Uganda has a high literacy rate of 76.53% and is one of the world's youngest populations, which bodes well for the AYuTe Africa Challenge's success. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Young Ugandans vie for agritech challenge honours

    World Bank has launched an insurance for Kenyan farmers that starts coverage at KES 50 per month. Photo: Supplied/World Bank

    Kenyan farmers embrace new weather insurance product

    Mantombi Madona proudly follows in the footsteps of her father. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    It’s all in your hands, says dynamo farmer and agri trainer

    Ghana's government is working together with AGRA on its SeedSAT initiative to improve the regulation of the country's informal seed sector. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    AGRA launches project to boost Ghana’s seed quality

  • Food Security
    • All
    • Crops
    • Food Trends
    • Logistics
    • Markets
    Within the next ten years, AFEX intends to grow beyond Kenya to Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Kenyan farmers take quantum leap with help from AFEX

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    East African avocado exports growing despite challenges

    The course is a 6-week intense program given in three 2-week sessions at IITA in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by B4A/ILRI hub and World Agroforestry, over the course of a year, with a maximum of 20 participants per course offering. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

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    Governments across East Africa are fighting against the impact of mold in food products. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Uganda fights to eliminate harmful aflatoxins in food

    East Africa's 2022 cereal harvest is in danger as the price of fertiliser has double since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    East Africa’s cereal harvest at risk as fertiliser prices soar

    Ghana's government is working together with AGRA on its SeedSAT initiative to improve the regulation of the country's informal seed sector. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    AGRA launches project to boost Ghana’s seed quality

    Rain, and lots of it, is needed in Somalia to relieve the famine. Photo: Supplied/FoodforAfrika.com

    Drought-stricken Somalia on the brink of catastrophe

    Zimbabwean government is using a new financial incentive to lock more grain producers and entice them to sell to the country's sole grain purchasing board. Photo: Pixabay/Supplied

    Zimbabwean government introduces maize incentive to entice farmers

    Tanzania has aims to be able to provide enough rice for itself and the rest of East Africa before moving on to the continent in 2030. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

    Tanzania sets sights on being Africa’s top rice producer

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Food Health
    • Trends
    A picture featuring George Chiwedzerero, who left Zimbabwe for South Africa and was not heard from for two decades.

    Missing migrants project helps families find peace

    The general impression of Zanzibar when approached from the mainland is of a long, low island with small ridges along its central north–south axis. Coconut palms and other vegetation cover the land surface. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Here’s how farming transformed Zanzibar’s coastline

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    Cassava is one of the continent's food staples. Here is a history on the root veg and its humble beginnings. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Cassava, a staple crop that sustains a continent

    Herbal remedies are commonplace in Uganda; testing these scientifically is a good way to ensure they’re safe and effective. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Herbal skin treatments in Uganda get a scientific boost

    Researchers believe that Rwanda's soft drink tax can be better used to boost public health by targeting sugar content. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

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    Lebanese farmers have shirked using chemicals during the goring process and are realising their produce is healthy regardless. Photo: Supplied/FoodForAfrika.com

    Lebanese potato farmers find that less is more

    In January 2015, a three-day rain displaced nearly quarter of a million people, devastated 64,000 hectares of land, and killed several hundred people in Malawi. Photo: Ashley Cooper/Getty Images

    What African countries got out of COP26

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icipe: Helps African farmers take insect farming to the next level

by Lucinda Dordley
10 May 2022
in Agri News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
icipe and the UN's FAO are encouraging Kenyan farmers to delve into insect farming. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

icipe and the UN's FAO are encouraging Kenyan farmers to delve into insect farming. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

There are more global conversations taking place to explore the benefits of both insect farming and consumption. Farmers across the continent have been using black soldier flies to enrich their animal feed, while research is being conducted into the benefits of cockroach oil in Tanzania.

According to the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and ants are a low-cost alternative to other forms of protein, especially in light of the impact of inflation on the average Kenyan’s wallet. Since January 2022, the average food basket has risen in price by 20%.

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Edible insects, according to Dr Saliou Niassy, an icipe scientist, provide high-quality protein, vitamins, fibre, calcium, iron, B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and amino acids, as well as being a good source of healthy fats.

Insect oil derived from two edible insects – the desert locust and the African bush-cricket – was shown to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, and vitamin E than plant oil in an icipe research effort.

Enhancing food security

icipe has also embarked on its Insects for Food, Feed and Other Uses (INSEFF) Programme, which is finding ways to enhance food security by supporting smallholder farmers and producers in insect-based endeavours.

“This aim is being achieved through developing, disseminating and promoting insect-based technologies for food, feed and other uses to enhance productivity, value addition and overall competitiveness of the agricultural system for improved livelihood. The programme focuses on understanding environmental factors favoring sustainable availability of edible insects; technological innovations for efficient mass rearing, wild collection and processing of edible insects; analyzing nutritional value and biosafety of insects as food and feed; using insects to safely recycle bio-waste into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer for improved crop productivity; value addition on edible insect products; and developing policies on efficient and equitable production and utilisation of edible insects,” icipe said.

Huge growth potential

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an estimated 2.5 billion people consume insects as part of their daily diet, either whole or in processed foods like snacks and pasta. It estimates the $112 million worldwide edible insect market in 2019 might grow to $1.5 billion by 2026.

Butterflies, cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, ants and bees, dragonflies, beetles, domestic silk moths, centipedes, and locusts are among the 1 900 edible species found worldwide.

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“The replacement of conventional protein (fishmeal and soymeal) and energy feed sources (maize) in the commercial poultry sector by 5 – 50% insect-based feed, will allow fish and maize to feed between 0.47-4.8 million people per year, which otherwise would have ended in the feed sector. It’s expected to create employment opportunities for between 3 300 – 33 000 people per year, and increase the Kenyan economy by $16 million to $159 million with the potential to lift 0.07 – 0.74 million people out of poverty per year,” icipe concluded.

ALSO READ: World Bank encourages insect farming as food prices soar

Tags: East Africafood insecurityInsect farmingKenyaUnited Nations
Lucinda Dordley

Lucinda Dordley

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Agri News

Africa’s water security progress a drop in the ocean

by The Conversation
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0

The water security situation on the continent doesn't look good. According to a UN assessment, only 29 African countries have...

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Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

27 Jun 2022

Let’s keep our food local, says farmer and agri trainer

24 Jun 2022
Within the next ten years, AFEX intends to grow beyond Kenya to Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia. Photo: Supplied/Pixabay

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Africa’s water security progress a drop in the ocean

Technology uptake remains low in upper parts of Africa

Let’s keep our food local, says farmer and agri trainer

Kenyan farmers take quantum leap with help from AFEX

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