Insects could become a sustainable food source in Africa, according to a presentation by a Zimbabwean agricultural food expert.
The Food Security in Africa conference in East London, the first of its kind in the country, is organised by the University of Fort Hare in partnership with the University of Pretoria.
It is aimed at finding solutions on food sustainability and security for the continent’s growing population amid challenges like environmental and climate change and geopolitical issues such as land grabs.
Food security specialists from Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Sudan, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa are in attendance.
Dr Robert Musundire of Zimbabwe’s Chinhoyi University of Technology said the idea of eating insects was not far-fetched as people from his country and northern parts of South Africa already did so. “Food is food – in good years you have rice, you have mielie meal, and insects are just one of the options.
“We are not saying they will solve food insecurity but we are putting them in the basket of options.
“So we are saying if we develop a value chain for insects they become a good option during hardships just like any other food commodity,” Musundire said.
“We have been doing research since 2012 and have documented various species that are consumed by different communities. We have also gathered the nutritional composition of these insects so that we can provide information to consumers so that they consume in a context of biological and scientific information.”
Musundire said so far they had analysed 15 species and published their nutritional data, including mopane worms, locusts, termites, bullet beetles, white grubs, grasshoppers and certain stink bugs.
Work had already begun to educate communities about the type of plants the insects live off so they can conserve them.
“These insects feed on different plants, some of them not eaten by humans, but the insects have the ability to extract some compounds and add them to their bodies.
“When humans consume these insects they get additional hidden treasures from the plants the insects eat. Some of these have medicinal properties,” Musindire said.
Another delegate, Dr Ivan Lwanga-Iga from the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform, said insects were rich in protein and were available throughout the year.
“The advantage of consuming insects is that it is cheap protein and it is easier to produce compared to the normal protein we have,” he said.
“If you see how much energy and materials you need to produce a kilogram of meat you will realise that less energy and resources are needed to produce insects as they come naturally.”
Another delegate, East London advocate Mava Malla, questioned why Africans should be subjected to eating insects for survival while their continent was rich with mineral and natural resources. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Insects can offer medicinal gems
The Food Security in Africa conference in East London, the first of its kind in the country, is organised by the University of Fort Hare in partnership with the University of Pretoria.
It is aimed at finding solutions on food sustainability and security for the continent’s growing population amid challenges like environmental and climate change and geopolitical issues such as land grabs.
Food security specialists from Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Sudan, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa are in attendance.
Dr Robert Musundire of Zimbabwe’s Chinhoyi University of Technology said the idea of eating insects was not far-fetched as people from his country and northern parts of South Africa already did so. “Food is food – in good years you have rice, you have mielie meal, and insects are just one of the options.
“We are not saying they will solve food insecurity but we are putting them in the basket of options.
“So we are saying if we develop a value chain for insects they become a good option during hardships just like any other food commodity,” Musundire said.
“We have been doing research since 2012 and have documented various species that are consumed by different communities. We have also gathered the nutritional composition of these insects so that we can provide information to consumers so that they consume in a context of biological and scientific information.”
Musundire said so far they had analysed 15 species and published their nutritional data, including mopane worms, locusts, termites, bullet beetles, white grubs, grasshoppers and certain stink bugs.
Work had already begun to educate communities about the type of plants the insects live off so they can conserve them.
“These insects feed on different plants, some of them not eaten by humans, but the insects have the ability to extract some compounds and add them to their bodies.
“When humans consume these insects they get additional hidden treasures from the plants the insects eat. Some of these have medicinal properties,” Musindire said.
Another delegate, Dr Ivan Lwanga-Iga from the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform, said insects were rich in protein and were available throughout the year.
“The advantage of consuming insects is that it is cheap protein and it is easier to produce compared to the normal protein we have,” he said.
“If you see how much energy and materials you need to produce a kilogram of meat you will realise that less energy and resources are needed to produce insects as they come naturally.”
Another delegate, East London advocate Mava Malla, questioned why Africans should be subjected to eating insects for survival while their continent was rich with mineral and natural resources. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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