Exploring community knowledge, perception and practices of entomophagy in Kenya

Abstract

In recent years, community’s perceptions and acceptance of edible insects as novel foods has gained momentum worldwide. Despite the importance of entomophagy in Kenya, little information exists on knowledge, perceptions and practices of edible insects among different communities. This study seeks to address this information gap by conducting surveys on edible insects in Kenya. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information from 161 respondents in western, eastern, central and coastal Kenya. The studies revealed that major insect groups consumed in Kenya include termites (88%), grasshoppers (28%), saturniids (8.3%), crickets (6.8%), compost grubs (3%) and lake flies (1.5%). However, this varied with regions. For instance, saturniids caterpillars such as Cirina forda, Bunaea alcinoe and Gonimbrasia zambesina were consumed mainly by the Giriama community in Kilifi, Coastal Kenya. The Giriamas frequently consumed saturniids to complement their diet, rather than a tactic for survival. Insect consumption was significantly affected by age, occupation and gender but not by region or educational level. Children (92.3%) and women (98.6%) were prominently involved in wild harvesting and sale of edible insects. The most common edible insects observed in local markets included termites in western and saturniids in coastal Kenya. Although 98.8% of the respondents were familiar with edible saturniids, only 67.1% were willing consumers. While 73% of the respondents were willing to rear saturniids primarily for income, they cited lack of ready markets as one of the major challenges. There is an urgent need to create awareness and promote processing of these insects into more palatable forms that can be marketed and consumed as an alternative for alleviating food insecurity and malnutrition in the region.