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.
Highlights
With regard to the level of education of the interviewees, it can be stated that 4% were not enrolled in school, 56% have completed primary education, 25% have passed college, 12% achieved high school level, and 3% went beyond this level
Roulon-Doko, 1998, cited in [8], documented that insects consumed by the indigenous Gbaya people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo contribute to 15% of total protein intake
Our results might be different in other rural areas
Summary
In the early 21st century, there has been a renewed interest in edible insects’ possible contribution to food and nutrition security [3], especially as an important protein source [4]. Depending on the local context and traditions, insects play a significant role for local diets, especially in times of food shortages [3,5,6]. Sustainable, and environmentally friendly protein alternatives [7]. Thanks to their quantitative and qualitative protein composition, they can contribute significantly to food security, especially in Africa, where insects have been consumed for centuries [8,9], with exceptions such as Ethiopia, where insects appear much less appreciated than elsewhere in Africa [10]. When considering entomophagy for nutrition security, one has to bear in mind the possible contamination of edible insects by pathogens or pesticides, and the presence of allergic proteins and anti-nutrients [17]
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