DRC: Raising insects to solve food safety

(Agence Ecofin) - The fight for food securty in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led the country to resort to innovative means. The government has indeed formed a partnership with the FAO to launch an entomophagy (human consumption of insects as food) development program in the country.

Benefiting from funding of USD 247,000 over two years, the initiative will enable the training of 200 farmers of edible insects, such as crickets, Cirina Forda caterpillars, locusts and grasshoppers. The project will be conducted in the regions of Kinshasa and Bandundu, to help the fight against malnutrition which affects 5 million people in the country.

Defending the relevance of this project, the country-representative of FAO in DRC, Laurent Kikeba, said on Radio Okapi: “According to research, 70% of the population in Kinshasa consume insects which on average have a protein level of 55%. Moreover, insect breeding generates less pollution than cattle breeding”. He further added that the project, which will start in October, will also cater for the establishment of a Promotion Centre for the Breeding of Edible Insects (CPEIC)