efficient as pigs and broiler chicks, four times that of
sheep, and six times higher than steers when losses
in carcass trim and dressing percentage are counted
(Jharna Chakravorty, 2009). Protein production for
human consumption would be more effective and
cost fewer resources than animal protein. It is there-
fore important to rear or cultivate the most preferred
edible insects, especially those with high nutrition
value in home gardens with application of modern
tools and techniques. Success stories of insect
rearing are seen in the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic and Japan, where crickets, bugs and many
other insects are harvested in home gardens (FAO,
2010; Toms and Nonaka, 2005). For this to be possible
it is important to understand different cultures and
indigenous knowledge.
3.2 Promote indigenous knowledge systems (IKS)
Communities that practise entomophagy have
ingrained traditional knowledge and practices on
how to harvest and use food insects. With changing
food habits communities lose valuable traditional
knowledge as such knowledge and practices are
considered outdated and primitive by the younger
generations. Incorporated in this knowledge system
are elements that promote and favour responsible
and respectful use of nature. Transmitting traditional
values and wisdom to children and teenagers is
important; experience shows that across many
fields a combination of customary knowledge and
approaches has tremendous benefits and values
towards understanding science and modern trends.
South Africa has taken on promoting indigenous
knowledge of diets and harvesting insects into the
classrooms. In their outcome-based education
system, children are taught at an early stage the
importance of consuming insects and sustainable
harvesting for food security. They are taught about
complex life cycles of the common edible insects
like the mopane worms and the stink bugs (Toms and
Nonaka, 2005). It is important for the harvesters to
understand the complex life cycles as many insects
are consumed at different stages of the life cycle.
Understanding that if a particular stage is overly
consumed it will lead to loss of a particular insect
from the ecosystem is very important. Understanding
that destruction of termataria or palm trees (forests)
will lead to no harvest of white ants or palm weevil
respectively is grossly important in sustainable use
of resources. In northern Uganda, termataria are
owned by families in grazing grounds and are jealously
guarded from intruders who are considered thieves.
Therefore promotion of sustainable harvesting for
food security and complex life cycles of insects
through the use of IKS should be adopted.In east Africa for example, natives will tell the type of
edible white ants by the type of termatarium and
therefore different species of edible white ants are
harvested in different ways. Great care is taken to
ensure that the termataria are not destroyed. Such
knowledge is not documented but is passed on by
word of mouth from generation to generation.
However some methods involve destroying the
vegetation around the termataria and in the case of
palm weevil, palm trees are destroyed. Promoting
sustainable use and harvesting methods is key in
IKS as well as enabling the harvesters to harvest
large quantities. Traditional knowledge along with
nutrition education are therefore essential founda-
tions for advancing entomophagy, but it also has to
address food security and food safety issues (Yen
et al., 2009).3. 3 Trade and value addition
Collection of food insects is a good source of income
especially for the women as they require little capital
input if gathered by hand. Insects are widely offered
in local village markets, while some preferred species
like grasshoppers in east Africa, mopane worms in
southern Africa reach urban markets across borders.
Ageaet al.(2008) noted that grasshoppers in Kampala
and Masaka, were a major source of income to the
harvesters who were mainly women. Many of the203