Insects as an Alternative Source of Animal Protein in Ethiopia

Vojtěch Havlíček

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

Insects are consumed in many countries around the World. In Ethiopia, eating insects is a rather rare occurrence. However, the insect's nutritional potential cannot be denied. Insects are very rich in protein as well as other macronutrients and micronutrients. Consuming insects is an effective way to avoid the excessive water and surface area required by traditional livestock. The objective was the investigation of available literature sources and electronic information databases to analyse insects as an alternative source of animal protein in Ethiopia. This study described 31 species of insects that occur in Ethiopia and have a high potential to become edible. The summary table describes the individual species of edible insect, dry matter protein percentage, processing methods and consumption stage. Subsequently, two of the most promising representatives were selected namely Schistocerca gregaria and Hermetia illucens, and their possible contribution to the people of Ethiopia was described. The highest percentage of protein in dry matter was found in the order Orthoptera, which reached 61 % on average, and the order Blattodea reached 57 %. Followed by the order Lepidoptera 45 % and the order Coleoptera 41 %. The insects represented in the table were mostly consumed at the adult 64.5 %, larval 41.9 %, or nymphal 35.4 % stages. The most common preparations methods for these insects include frying 58 %, drying 54.8 %, roasting 16 % and boiling 12.9 %. Some of the insects could also be consumed in raw form 25 %.

Keywords

nutritional value, proteins, human nutrition, insects, entomophagy, insect farming, food processing, Ethiopia

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 15. 4. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Iva Kučerová, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Bachelor programme:
Tropical Agriculture