Insect and Hydroponic Farming in Africa

management is a challenge.11 In such cases, it is still important to avoid waste substrates with high levels of heavy metals. Using BSFL for feed and composting can reduce GHG emissions. A study in Indonesia found that composting segregated kitchen waste with BSFL can reduce direct CO2-eq emissions by 47 times (Mertenat, Diener, and Zurbrügg 2019). It also found that organic waste composting with BSFL as opposed to open-air composting reduces GWP by half. Farmed insect species convert the organic substrate they feed on very efficiently compared with conventional livestock. The growth efficiency of farmed animals is expressed as the FCR. The FCR evaluates how much feed substrate is needed to produce 1 kg of meat. Insect species have the potential of efficient growth with an FCR as low as 1.4. This is well below the FCR for chicken, which has the most optimized FCR among traditional livestock species (table 3.9). Insects can efficiently convert low-grade organic waste into high-quality fat and protein. When insects are dried, up to 70 percent of their dry matter is protein

TABLE 3.9 Feed Conversion Rates of Various Insect and Livestock Species Species

Feed conversion ratio

Description of the farming system

Reference

Cricket (Acheta domestica and Gryllus bimaculatus)

1.82

Sheltered, open-walled system (Thailand)

Halloran et al. 2017

House cricket (Acheta domesticus)

2.3–6.1

Experiments in a laboratory Oonincx et al. setting 2015

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

1.4–2.6

Experiments in a laboratory setting

Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)

3.8–19.1

Experiments in a laboratory setting

Swine

4.04

National average (United States)

Broiler chicken

2.68

National average (United States)

Layer chicken

2.26

National average (United States)

Turkey

3.58

National average (United States)

Beef cow

23.5

National average (United States)

Striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

1.57

Intensive farming systems (Vietnam)

Source: Original table for this publication.

88

Insect and Hydroponic Farming in Africa

Mekonnen et al. 2019

Hasan and Soto 2017

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Insect and Hydroponic Farming in Africa

Published on Dec 14, 2021Agriculture

World Bank Publications

"Interestingly, some relief from today’s woes may come from ancient human practices. While current agri-food production models rely on abundant supplies of water, energy, and arable land and generate significant greenhouse gas emissions in addition to forest and biodiversity loss, past practices point toward more affordable and sustainable paths. Different forms of insect farming and soilless crop farming, or hydroponics, have existed for centuries. In this report the authors make a persuasive case that frontier agriculture, particularly insect and hydroponic farming, can complement conventional agriculture. Both technologies reuse society’s agricultural and organic industrial waste to produce nutritious food and animal feed without continuing to deplete the planet’s land and water resources, thereby converting the world’s wasteful linear food economy into a sustainable, circular food economy. As the report shows, insect and hydroponic farming can create jobs, diversify livelihoods, improve nutrit

Articles inside

Phase 2: Scaling

Phase 1: Establishing and Piloting

6. Ways Forward

References

Operation in Turkey

Operation in Turkey

Comparison with Soil-Based Production

Pillars

Limitations

and Cowpeas

5.1 Examples of Human Food or Animal Feed from Hydroponic Crops

Advantages over Soil Agriculture

Outputs

Types of Hydroponic Systems

References

About Hydroponics

Fertilizers, Zimbabwe

Breeding, Zimbabwe

4.22 Black Soldier Fly Larvae Frass Production, by Crop, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

4.7 BSF-Related Conversion Factors

4.4 Productivity of Different African Palm Weevil Farming Systems

Three African Cities

Edible Insect Production Systems

Description of When Consumption Occurs

Insect Production Systems

Edible Insect Supply Chains in African FCV-Affected States

Insect Farming’s Economic Benefits

3.9 Feed Conversion Rates of Various Insect and Livestock Species

Insect Farming’s Social Benefits

Insect Farming’s Environmental Benefits

3.8 Fat and Protein in Various Edible Insect Species

Available in 2019

Insect Sector

3.2 Most Commonly Farmed Insect Species

Types of Insects That Can Be Farmed Roles in Insect Farming for Civil Society, Government, and the

3.1 Diversity and Abundance of Edible Insects in Africa

Insect Farming’s Nutritional Benefits

in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, 2016

Context of Insect Farming in Africa

in 13 African FCV Countries, Various Years

Conflict, and Violence

FCV Countries, 2000–19

Road Map

Than Five Years

Food Supply

References

Climate Change in FCV Countries

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