Knowledge, attitudes and practices on edible insects in Lango sub-region, northern Uganda

Abstract

The study was done to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices towards edible insects, their consumption and practices of harvesting and processing in Lango sub-region, with the aim of increasing their consumption and improving nutrition of the people. Data was collected using semi structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Common insect orders used as food in the area included: Isoptera (termites), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets), and Hymenoptera (honey bee broods). Winged termites (Macrotermes spp.), locally known as Ngwen was consumed by more than 97% of the respondents. Soldier termites (Syntermes soldiers), locally called okok, were consumed by 73% of the respondents and crickets (Brachytrupes spp.), locally known as odir, was consumed by 69% of respondents. These insects were seasonally abundant and consumed in households in seasons of availability. Winged and soldier termites were harvested by attraction to light at the termite mound and by ‘termite fishing’ technique, respectively. Grasshoppers were harvested by hand picking from cropland bushes. Women and children were more actively involved in collection of insects than men. Pan frying, roasting, boiling followed by sun drying were the most common methods of processing insects. Dried insects were either served as snacks or a side dish. A main dish locally known as alakena is prepared from freshly ground termites. Dried winged termites were preserved for consumption at a later date. Women and children consumed more edible insects than men. The results show that insects are important as a food resource to the rural poor. However, majority of the respondents did not know that insects are nutritious. Therefore there is need to popularise consumption of edible insects in and outside the subregion through research on nutritional values of insects and documenting the information and processing insects using modern techniques in order to increase its commercial value and availability of insect products in all seasons.

Insects as food: Illuminating the food neophobia and socio-cultural dynamics of insect consumption in Uganda

“…Although consumption of edible insects is widespread in Uganda, the type of edible insects consumed varies between the different regions and cultures. For instance, the Bantu ethnic group, who occupies the central region of Uganda predominantly consumes grasshoppers (Agea et al 2008), while the Nilotics (who occupy the northern region) majorly consumes termites and their alates (Akullo et al 2017). The study of Akullo et al (2017), conducted in Lango sub-region of Northern Uganda showed that over 90% of the participants consumed white ants, a finding that compares well with results from the current study.…”

“…For instance, the Bantu ethnic group, who occupies the central region of Uganda predominantly consumes grasshoppers (Agea et al 2008), while the Nilotics (who occupy the northern region) majorly consumes termites and their alates (Akullo et al 2017). The study of Akullo et al (2017), conducted in Lango sub-region of Northern Uganda showed that over 90% of the participants consumed white ants, a finding that compares well with results from the current study. This observation could explain the observed effect of location on consumption of insects and justifies the influence of culture and familiarity on edible insect consumption.…”

Farmers’ acceptance of insects as an alternative protein source in poultry feeds

“…In Africa, the poultry reared under the free-range system eat insects as they roam around homes and gardens and sometimes farmers deliberately avail the insects to their poultry. In Northern Uganda, farmers feed their chicken on insects by, for instance, digging up ant hills to expose termites or inserting grass blades into anthills to collect the termites (Akullo et al, 2017).…”

A Survey of Public Opinion about Entomophagy in Erciyes University

“…Recently, human consumption of edible insects (Entomophagy) has attracted a lot of attention and gaining popularity and acceptance in the world as a promising way to deal with some of the major food and nutrition challenges facing the world (Yen 2009;Yi et al, 2010;Durst et al, 2010;Mitsuhashi 2010;Ash et al, 2010;Vogel 2010;Gahukar 2011;Crabbe 2012;Vanhonacker et al, 2013;Van Huis et al, 2013;Sabado and Aguanta 2015;Narzari and Sarmah 2015;Megido et al, 2016;Akullo et al, 2017). Edible insects are traditionally consumed in many parts of the world (DeFoliart 1997;Ramos-Elorduy 2009) and considered as an important source of food (Belluco et al, 2013;Mlcek et al, 2014;Shockley and Dossey 2014).…”

“…Although there is a reluctance to consume insects as food in some part of the world, there is an increasing interest in edible insects recently and they are now regarded as a class of mini-livestock (DeFoliart 1995;Hardouin 1995;Paoletti 2005;Morris 2008;Van Huis et al, 2013;Kenis et al, 2014;Kelemu et al, 2015). Many researchers around the world are looking for ways to include them in their daily diet and are investigating public attitude towards edible insects (Ebenebe and Okpoko 2015;House 2016;Niassy and Ekesi 2016;Anankware et al, 2017;Akullo et al, 2017). The objective of this study is to determine the attitudes of the young generation in Erciyes University towards entomophagy and the reasons for rejecting entomophagy.…”