Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme
Background: In 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization released a report explaining the potential of nutrient-dense and environmentally friendly edible insects to help reduce malnutrition and feed the growing world population. The MealFlour programme started in Guatemala in July, 2016, with t...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2019-03-01
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| Series: | The Lancet Global Health |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X19301184 |
| _version_ | 1818298584112562176 |
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| author | Elizabeth Frank, BA Gabrielle Wimer, BA |
| author_facet | Elizabeth Frank, BA Gabrielle Wimer, BA |
| author_sort | Elizabeth Frank, BA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization released a report explaining the potential of nutrient-dense and environmentally friendly edible insects to help reduce malnutrition and feed the growing world population. The MealFlour programme started in Guatemala in July, 2016, with the goal of increasing access to protein, reducing malnutrition, and improving food security. MealFlour and local organisations partnered to teach people how to make in-home mealworm farms and how to process mealworms into a protein-rich powder. Mealworm powder is easily incorporated into existing recipes, and can be sold as a source of income. Here, we describe the MealFlour programme and train-the-trainer programme that aims to create a community of mealworm farmers in Guatemala. Methods: MealFlour worked with local partner organisations that have existing outreach programmes in communities with food insecurity in Quetzaltenango, Chimaltenango, and Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The partners identified community leaders, health workers, or teachers who were interested in participating in a train-the-trainer programme. Bilingual trainers were included (Spanish and Mayan languages) to reach indigenous populations. Trainers participated in a 6-month programme of five classes, weekly home visits, and monthly focus groups. MealFlour's local partners help conduct long-term monitoring and evaluation of the programme. We measure farm success and the improvements in health, income, and diet. Findings: MealFlour has worked with five partner organisations, introduced mealworm farming to 296 people, and helped five families set up a farm through the initial training programme, and an additional ten families through a train-the-trainer model. Because of the climate in the western highlands of Guatemala, the initial MealFlour programme yielded no output of mealworms for several months until participants discovered solutions to improve the farms and shared these during structured focus groups. All five participants in the initial training programme retained farming knowledge from the classes. Evaluation of farm outputs and effects on nutrition is ongoing. Community leaders in the train-the-trainer programme in Chimaltenango expressed interest in mealworm farming despite the small culture of eating insects in this region. Their outreach is ongoing to recruit other interested community members. In Huehuetenango, there is a robust culture of eating insects and there is interest in home-grown edible insects to increase access to protein. Interpretation: The main ongoing challenge in the MealFlour programme is optimising farm output in the varying Guatemalan climates while using low-cost materials. Future edible insect programmes should set up test farms with local partners to adapt the process to varying climates, do acceptability studies, and involve participants in the design of the farms and best practices for the farming process. Future studies should analyse the risk of reliance on only one insect species. Funding: The Resolution Project, HealthRoots Foundation, The University of Chicago. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:37:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51d66fa646914bb18e12c50c1f79499f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-109X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:37:39Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Lancet Global Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-51d66fa646914bb18e12c50c1f79499f2022-12-21T23:59:24ZengElsevierThe Lancet Global Health2214-109X2019-03-017S33Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programmeElizabeth Frank, BA0Gabrielle Wimer, BA1MealFlour, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; Correspondence to: Ms Elizabeth Frank 12D-39 6a Calle Zona 1, Quetzaltenango, GuatemalaMealFlour, Quetzaltenango, GuatemalaBackground: In 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization released a report explaining the potential of nutrient-dense and environmentally friendly edible insects to help reduce malnutrition and feed the growing world population. The MealFlour programme started in Guatemala in July, 2016, with the goal of increasing access to protein, reducing malnutrition, and improving food security. MealFlour and local organisations partnered to teach people how to make in-home mealworm farms and how to process mealworms into a protein-rich powder. Mealworm powder is easily incorporated into existing recipes, and can be sold as a source of income. Here, we describe the MealFlour programme and train-the-trainer programme that aims to create a community of mealworm farmers in Guatemala. Methods: MealFlour worked with local partner organisations that have existing outreach programmes in communities with food insecurity in Quetzaltenango, Chimaltenango, and Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The partners identified community leaders, health workers, or teachers who were interested in participating in a train-the-trainer programme. Bilingual trainers were included (Spanish and Mayan languages) to reach indigenous populations. Trainers participated in a 6-month programme of five classes, weekly home visits, and monthly focus groups. MealFlour's local partners help conduct long-term monitoring and evaluation of the programme. We measure farm success and the improvements in health, income, and diet. Findings: MealFlour has worked with five partner organisations, introduced mealworm farming to 296 people, and helped five families set up a farm through the initial training programme, and an additional ten families through a train-the-trainer model. Because of the climate in the western highlands of Guatemala, the initial MealFlour programme yielded no output of mealworms for several months until participants discovered solutions to improve the farms and shared these during structured focus groups. All five participants in the initial training programme retained farming knowledge from the classes. Evaluation of farm outputs and effects on nutrition is ongoing. Community leaders in the train-the-trainer programme in Chimaltenango expressed interest in mealworm farming despite the small culture of eating insects in this region. Their outreach is ongoing to recruit other interested community members. In Huehuetenango, there is a robust culture of eating insects and there is interest in home-grown edible insects to increase access to protein. Interpretation: The main ongoing challenge in the MealFlour programme is optimising farm output in the varying Guatemalan climates while using low-cost materials. Future edible insect programmes should set up test farms with local partners to adapt the process to varying climates, do acceptability studies, and involve participants in the design of the farms and best practices for the farming process. Future studies should analyse the risk of reliance on only one insect species. Funding: The Resolution Project, HealthRoots Foundation, The University of Chicago.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X19301184 |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth Frank, BA Gabrielle Wimer, BA Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme The Lancet Global Health |
| title | Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme |
| title_full | Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme |
| title_fullStr | Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme |
| title_short | Implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security: findings from a training initiative and a train-the-trainer programme |
| title_sort | implementation of edible insect programmes in developing countries to improve food security findings from a training initiative and a train the trainer programme |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X19301184 |
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