In recent times, the
use of insects as food and feed has probably become one of the most exciting
topics in entomology. While it is reported that over 2,000 species are known to
be edible globally, consumption of edible insects in Kenya is gradually being
embraced.
In their recent publication on “Contribution to the knowledge of entomophagy in Africa”, Dr. Sunday Ekesi and Dr. Saliou Niassy from icipe and University of Pretoria respectively cited that the use of insects as food is being advocated for due to their high nutrient composition, high feed conversion efficiency, organic wastes conversion, the lower requirements for land and water, lower emissions of greenhouse gases and the fact that they have a significant role to play in today’s debate surrounding food and nutritional security.
In their recent publication on “Contribution to the knowledge of entomophagy in Africa”, Dr. Sunday Ekesi and Dr. Saliou Niassy from icipe and University of Pretoria respectively cited that the use of insects as food is being advocated for due to their high nutrient composition, high feed conversion efficiency, organic wastes conversion, the lower requirements for land and water, lower emissions of greenhouse gases and the fact that they have a significant role to play in today’s debate surrounding food and nutritional security.
As tackling food
security in Kenya and many other countries in the world continues to be a major
point of focus, research emerging from various public and private sector entities
has clearly demonstrated that insect-based protein can replace fish-meal and
soy-meal in fish and poultry feed. Since curbing food security requires an
integrated approach as there is no single solution to the challenge, the use of
insects as food and feed can not only significantly contribute to reducing
hunger but also stimulating enterprise development and contribute to job
creation especially for youth and women.
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