Musundire Robert, Ngonyama Dianah, Chemura Abel, Ngadze Ruth Tambudzai, Jackson Jose, Matanda Margaret Jekanyika, Tarakini Tawanda, Langton Maud, Chiwona-Karltun Linley
Department of Crop Science and Post-Harvest Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.
Association of African Agricultural Professionals in the Diaspora (AAAPD), Des Moines, IA, United States.
Front Vet Sci. 2021 Feb 19;8:601386. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.601386. eCollection 2021.
Edible insects have gained popularity as alternative food resources in the face of climate change and increasing carbon and environmental footprints associated with conventional agricultural production. Among the positive attributes that make edible insects suitable as food and feed substrates include rapid reproduction, high energy conversion efficiency, wide distribution, diversity, reduced greenhouses gases and ammonia emissions, possibility to reduce waste and high nutritional composition. In Sub-Saharan Africa, considerable scientific data exist on use of insects as food and livestock feed. However, coherent policies regarding safety, sustainability, trade and regulation of insects as food and animal feed are lacking. The benefits associated with edible insects are likely to accrue in Sub-Saharan Africa through use of a combination of approaches such as ensured sustainable utilization of edible insects in the wild, preservation of traditional conservation, harvesting and consumption practices, development of captive mass production schemes and strengthening robust value chains to incentivise indigenous participants. Collectively these approaches are referred to as the steward and use of insects as food and animal feed. This paper examines the policy frameworks that exist to support the use of edible insects as food and feed on the African continent. This investigation employed a literature review focussing on national policies in selected African countries to assess the relevance to edible insects. Using a baseline of more than 10 edible insect species consumed, 10 country cases in Sub-Saharan Africa were used to support our in-depth examination of the policy situation that may support good stewardship of edible insects as food and feed. Focus on how policies encompassing biodiversity, natural resources, culture, education, research, technology development, trade, health and nutrition and how that could be improved to support inclusivity of edible insects is discussed. We conclude by proposing a pathway that may accelerate recognition and valorisation of edible insects as important food and feed resources in Sub-Saharan Africa including improving policies to support good stewardship of these resources for sustainability.
面对气候变化以及与传统农业生产相关的碳足迹和环境足迹不断增加的情况，可食用昆虫作为替代食物资源越来越受到欢迎。使可食用昆虫适合作为食物和饲料基质的积极特性包括繁殖迅速、能量转换效率高、分布广泛、种类多样、减少温室气体和氨气排放、减少浪费的可能性以及高营养成分。在撒哈拉以南非洲，存在大量关于将昆虫用作食物和牲畜饲料的科学数据。然而，缺乏关于昆虫作为食物和动物饲料的安全、可持续性、贸易和监管的连贯政策。通过采用多种方法相结合，撒哈拉以南非洲可能会收获与可食用昆虫相关的益处，例如确保对野生可食用昆虫的可持续利用、保护传统的养护、采集和消费做法、制定圈养大规模生产计划以及加强强大的价值链以激励本土参与者。这些方法统称为对昆虫作为食物和动物饲料的管理和利用。本文研究了非洲大陆支持将可食用昆虫用作食物和饲料的现有政策框架。这项调查采用了文献综述，重点关注选定非洲国家的国家政策，以评估与可食用昆虫的相关性。以消费超过10种可食用昆虫物种为基线，利用撒哈拉以南非洲的10个国家案例来支持我们对可能支持对可食用昆虫作为食物和饲料进行良好管理的政策情况的深入研究。讨论了涵盖生物多样性、自然资源、文化、教育、研究、技术开发、贸易、健康和营养的政策以及如何改进这些政策以支持可食用昆虫的包容性。我们最后提出了一条途径，该途径可能会加速撒哈拉以南非洲将可食用昆虫视为重要食物和饲料资源的认可和增值，包括改进政策以支持对这些资源的良好管理以实现可持续性。
