Feature: Termites boost locals income, food security in Western Kenya

It is about 4:00 p.m. and Mary Adhiambo, a resident from Kisumu in Western Kenya, is busy frying winged termites in a cooking pot.

Adhiambo, a hawker in one of the local markets in the region, has turned to the trade following the onset of the rains which have caused the nutritious insects to thrive and swarm in large numbers.

She is among the many traders in the region now minting money from selling the termites.

The heavy rains have become a blessing in disguise as she is able to put food on the table and generate income. A cupful of termite, popularly known as "kumbekumbe", retails at 1 U.S. dollars in the town.

"On daily basis, I pocket between 15 dollars and 20 dollars. Locals buy and consume them directly," she said on Wednesday.

Adhiambo said many residents are currently embracing winged termites as part of their diets and to curb food insecurity, which is a major concern in different parts of Kenya.

Termites, which are rich in proteins, play an important role in daily food consumption in many parts of rural Kenya during the rainy season, especially when there is a shortage of maize supply.

Winged termites, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets have been embraced as part of traditional diet among rural communities in Kenya.

The edible insects have received a major boost after the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) recommended them as a way of addressing food insecurity in developing nations.

More than 500 insect species are used for human consumption in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, according to a research done by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE).

George Wanjala, a researcher at the Food Technology Division within Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI), said that termites are a rich source of protein, fat, zinc and iron.

"This is an alternative source of protein for poor families who cannot afford beef and chicken," he said.

Monica Ayieko, a professor of Consumer Economics with Kenya's Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, who has done research on production of termites, lake flies, locusts and black ants and cricket rearing, said many people are becoming cautious about animal protein and that is why scientists are shifting focus to insect-rearing to provide alternative source of proteins.

"Crickets have been proved to contain a concentrated protein, can be processed into muffins, biscuits, sausages, meat loafs, porridge and chapatti," she said.

Ayieko has so far trained 561 farmers on cricket rearing in Siaya County.

"Our role as the university is to research and disseminate knowledge on how we can improve food security by embracing edible insects," she said. Endi