Local governments also support insect farming in Korea. Subnational governments have set up nine agricultural research and extension services and 156 technology centers that carry out trainings and pilot projects for insect farming and related businesses. Local governments also support industrialization by establishing local Insect Resource Centers. These centers finance R&D and insect processing machines, such as microfine grinding mills, and implement educational projects with mentoring and personalized one-on-one training on various insect industry topics. Local governments allow insect farmers to visit the centers and learn by doing by assisting with insect rearing and processing, pest and disease management, and facility and equipment operations. These efforts are done in collaboration with universities and other research institutes. The Insect Resource Centers also promote insect products, and the industry more generally, at exhibitions and media events to raise the public’s awareness of the industry’s value and benefits. Korea’s Comprehensive Insect Sector Plan, developed by MAFRA, maps out the country’s national insect strategy in two phases. The plan describes the status and prospects of the insect industry, a medium- and long-term investment plan, an R&D strategy, the institutional framework of governments and insect-related businesses, and the presidential decree promoting the insect industry. The first five-year phase of the plan lasted from 2011 to 2015, and the second five-year phase of the plan was from 2016 to 2020. The two five-year plans included an investment plan. Between 2011 and 2015, the Korean government allocated US$90 million to develop the insect industry, and between 2016 and 2020, the allocation increased by 20 percent to US$108 million (table 3.6).
TABLE 3.6 Korean Government Areas of Investment for the Country’s Insect Sector First phase five-year plan
Second phase five-year plan
(2011–15)
(2016–20)
Total budget: US$92.7 million
Total budget: US$117.2 million
• Exploring insect resources and beneficial insects for potential inclusion in the industry: US$4.5 million • Strengthening research and development support to commercialize insect resources: US$14.6 million • Increasing support to insect farming families and for insect industrialization: US$73.6 million
• Advancing consumption and distribution systems: US$3.4 million • Exploring new markets: US$3 million • Building a production base: US$98.2 million • Expanding industrial infrastructure: US$12.7 million
Source: RDA 2020a. Note: A W -USD exchange rate of 0.00084 was used in conversion from Korean won to US dollars.
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Insect and Hydroponic Farming in Africa
