The contribution of \u2018chitoumou\u2019, the edible caterpillar Cirina butyrospermi, to the food security of smallholder farmers in southwestern Burkina Faso

Charlotte L R Payne,Sioned Cox,Andrew Balmford,Fernand Bationo,Antoine Sanon,Pete Scarborough,Darja Dobermann,Charlotte Milbank,Bakary Sagnon,Athanase Badolo

doi:10.1007/s12571-019-00994-z

Abstract

Edible insects have been advocated as a means to combat food insecurity, which is prevalent in West Africa. In this study we look at the contribution of the shea caterpillar Cirina butyrospermi, colloquially known as ‘chitoumou’, to the food security of smallholder households in rural southwestern Burkina Faso. We used a mixed methods approach to understand the relationship between caterpillar collection, consumption, and sale by smallholder households, and their seasonal food security status. We found that caterpillars are an important source of food and income for households, significantly increasing the household consumption of animal protein and, with shea nuts, representing the main income source for the majority of women. We also found that food security is higher during caterpillar season, and that household-level food security during this season can be predicted by the amount of caterpillars collected, consumed and sold. However, this relationship holds only during the caterpillar season, suggesting that the positive impact of caterpillars on food security is temporally limited. We conclude that the shea caterpillar is an example of an edible insect that is crucial for seasonal food security in a widespread agricultural system.

Highlights

Food insecurity disproportionately affects those who produce the majority of the world’s food: over half of all food calories are produced by rural smallholder farmers, who live in the Global South (Samberg et al 2016) and are disproportionately likely to be food-insecure (Sibhatu and Qaim 2017)
During caterpillar season - that is, the time period during which caterpillars can be collected in the area - respondents to Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS) surveys (N = 57) reported eating caterpillars a median of 3 times a week, but this fell to a median of 0 times a week in the dry season when only dried caterpillars are available
We found that the collection and consumption of a seasonal edible insect does not confer greater food security on families throughout the year; policymakers should take this into account when developing strategies to combat food insecurity using edible insects

Summary

Introduction

Food insecurity disproportionately affects those who produce the majority of the world’s food: over half of all food calories are produced by rural smallholder farmers, who live in the Global South (Samberg et al 2016) and are disproportionately likely to be food-insecure (Sibhatu and Qaim 2017). Several definitions since have focused on the importance of access, in the context of unpredictable and fluctuating world markets (Porter et al 2014). The relationship between economic growth and increased food security is complex and variable, and may depend on the nature of government policies concerning food and development

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