livelihoods, household food security and nutrition.
They help generate additional employment and in-
come, offer opportunities for processing enterprises
and more so support biodiversity conservation.
Studies show that African diets though lacking in
meat proteins, natives still remain healthy and fit.
This observation is attributed to edible insects fill-
ing in the gaps. Attaining such benefits however
comes with various challenges.
- Challenges
2.1 Climate change
Climate change affects ecosystems and their com-
ponents with its effects aggravated by unchecked
human activities. There is increasing evidence that
the earth’s climate is undergoing change largely due
to human activities. It is estimated that global cli-
mate change will have a profound impact on all
ecosystems and hence biodiversity (Ayeikoet al.,
2010). It is also feared that climate change will lead
to loss of biodiversity in many places around the
world. The importance of biodiversity in food secu-
rity, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods cannot be
neglected. According to FAO (2010), biodiversity con-
tributes directly to food security, nutrition and
human well-being by providing a variety of plant and
animal foods from domesticated and wild sources.
Environmental integrity is therefore critical for
maintaining and building positive options for human
well-being.
Insects are an integral part of all ecosystems and
will therefore not be spared by the change in a num-
ber of ways not yet determined by scientists. Stud-
ies point out that insect populations are likely to
increase with changing climate (Saunders, 2008).
Increased temperature and moisture that are prod-
ucts of climate change are known to affect insect
populations. High temperatures stimulate high fe-
cundity in female insects and hence large numbers
of individuals at emergency (Rattle, 1985). Ayeiko et
all. (2010) reported large quantity harvests of ter-
mites on the shores of Lake Victoria in western
Kenya. They also noted moisture variability and
availability in the recent past kept insect mounds
moist much longer in certain areas than in other
years. Insects respond to change in thermal envi-
ronment through migration, adaptation or evolution
(Dunn and Crutchfield, 2006). This enables them to
adapt faster to other areas to survive the climate
changes and thereby increase their availability to
human consumption and predators. However, con-
fronted with both low quantity and large quantity
harvests for some insects is Africa ready to take on
the challenge. Insects are highly perishable, if supply
is to be maintained there is need to look at pro-
cessing methods and storage to cut down on post-
harvest losses.2. 2 Globalization
As Africa positions itself for globalization many unde-
sired outcomes are observed. Globalization has seen
adoption of a universal cultural system largely based
on western values, customs and habits including
changes in food customs. It has resulted in the use of
more fast foods and pre-prepared foods and the loss
of traditional ways of life (Illgner and Nel, 2000). Peo-
ple opt for simple diets as they become busier aban-
doning dietary practices that are perceived as time-
wasting and archaic. Entomophagy is one such prac-
tice requiring a lot of time, women and children spend
a lot of time in the wild looking for insect delicacies.
Diet simplification negatively impacts on human food
security, nutritional balance and health.2.3 Population growth and commercialization of
agriculture
A rapidly growing human population commands in-
creased demand for food production along with
changing food production and consumption pat-
terns. Africa’s population is growing at a rate of 3
percent and the population is expected to be 2 bil-
lion by 2050 (FAO, 2010). Population pressures in the
recent past have led to the evolution of agriculture201