SEED Madagascar

Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum
I’ve heard sakondry bugs are yum!

We’ve all heard the old folktale of Jack and the Beanstalk but what does this fictional story have in common with SEED’s new sustainable livelihoods project, Project Sakondry? Well, Madagascar has some magic beans of its own, but this time what can be found at the top of the beanstalk is the edible Zanna tenebrosa insect, known locally as sakondry. Since partnering with Dr Cortni Borgerson at the start of the year, SEED has become very excited about these bacon flavoured bugs after discovering that sakondry can provide a sustainable and nutrient-rich source of protein in the human diet. For those in Madagascar’s Deep South who have been severely impacted by the effects of the current drought (the worst since 1981), low agricultural productivity, and the difficulties of COVID-19, the farming of these insects provides an opportunity to improve food security and dietary diversity. Whilst SEED continues to respond to food insecurity in the south with emergency food distribution, these measures are a vital but temporary solution to a problem set to worsen, with climate change already drastically changing Madagascar’s agricultural landscape. In this week’s blog we learn about Project Sakondry and how, through edible insect farming, SEED aims to improve food security and livelihood opportunities for communities across Anosy, building agricultural capacity to combat food insecurity in the long term.

So, how does it all work?

Named after the bugs themselves, Project Sakondry aims to increase food availability and contribute to malnutrition alleviation across five rural communities in the Anosy region. Traditionally eaten in Madagascar, the sakondry bugs are tropical plant hoppers found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order for communities to farm the insects, households are first supported to grow a host plant known locally as antaky. The antaky plant then attracts the sakondry, who arrive six to eight weeks after the seeds have been planted. The bugs later establish colonies which are then harvestable, providing a high forest-derived source of calories, fats, and micro-nutrients once cooked. But there’s more--in addition to attracting the bugs, the host plant is also an edible bean species, which can further increase households’ dietary diversity as a source of pulses. Following the establishment of the initial colony, and with continual maintenance of host plants, both the beans and insect colonies have the potential to remain harvestable indefinitely, with the potential to generate household income through the sale of excess beans and bugs. You see, they really are magic beans!

Bugs and the beans

But, why insects? 

Well, while Western attitudes towards eating insects are largely unfavourable, there are not the same negative associations with the practice in Madagascar. In fact, these bugs have many other benefits in addition to being incredibly tasty! In comparison to livestock, insect farming has been shown to be a more sustainable option in providing nutrients in the human diet, releasing fewer greenhouse gas emissions whilst requiring less resources to produce the equivalent amount of meat¹. The farming of insects also uses less land than livestock and can be cultivated on small plots, reducing habitat loss and providing a cheaper and more sustainable source of animal protein². With many households reliant on Madagascar’s biodiversity for nutrition, the establishment of insects as a sustainable food source also has the potential to decrease reliance on bushmeat and other natural resources that can contribute to species conservation efforts³.

What have we done so far?

At the beginning of the year, SEED implemented a three-month pilot project in Sainte Luce. The pilot demonstrated the efficacy and sustainability of sakondry farming in contributing to greater dietary diversity and food availability in target households. Building upon the success of the pilot, the current project targets five rural communities experiencing high rates of moderate to severe acute malnutrition within the Fort Dauphin district; Ebakika, Mananara, Tsagnoriha, Vatambe, and Sainte Luce, who are also receiving immediate support through SEED’s emergency food distribution project.

Generously supported by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, the current project aims to increase food security for over 3,600 people. High poverty levels in the region and cultural restrictions on women’s employment opportunities render women and children especially vulnerable to food insecurity, even more so for those in nutritionally-sensitive life stages such as pregnant women and children under five. SEED has therefore prioritised female community members, training 200 female household representatives in the communities of Ebakika, Mananara, Tsagnoriha, and Vatambe to learn how to grow the antaky host plant and how to farm, harvest, and cook sakondry. By the end of the project, the women will have learnt how to successfully establish and maintain host plant plots and will be able to provide their households with a nutritious food source, benefiting up to 860 individuals, including 200 women of reproductive age and approximately 520 children.

Did you know? 100 grams of sakondry produces the entire recommended daily amount of protein and zinc for a woman of reproductive age, is a source of calcium and includes a quarter of her daily calories and iron intake⁴.

In Sainte Luce, where familiarity with sakondry farming already exists from the pilot, three local Community Ambassadors (CA) have begun to lead community wide training in Sainte Luce, in addition to one CA who is leading household training in Ebakika. All three CAs in Sainte Luce participated in the pilot in January and have experience to provide context-specific knowledge and guidance to those who are learning how to farm sakondry for the first time. Since October, the CAs have distributed the antaky seeds within their respective hamlets and provided teaching to the community on how to grow the plant, how to cook and store the sakondry and also on the nutritional value of the insects. Estimated to reach up to 2,750 individuals, of whom at least 625 are women of reproductive age, and 1,500 are children, SEED are really proud to be working with the CAs to encourage and empower more women to become leaders in their local communities.

What’s next?

With two months down and four to go, there’s lots more to come from Project Sakondry! Household and community wide training will continue across all five communities, with the sakondry bugs expected to arrive at host plants in February and March next year. In Ebakika, Mananara, Tsagnoriha, and Vatambe, household representatives will receive top up training and monthly check-ins to support individuals experiencing any potential challenges relating to the harvest of the bugs and maintenance of the host plant. Community members in Sainte Luce will receive similar support and additional training delivered by the three CAs. SEED also has plans to investigate the market potential of sakondry across Fort Dauphin, providing information to households on how they can supplement household income through the sale of excess insects down the line.

Speaking at COP26 on the 2nd November, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina addressed how the impacts of climate change are affecting the country: ‘These consequences are disastrous, particularly for the south of Madagascar, which is facing famine caused by climate change’. Whilst the extremity of the situation in the south requires a much greater global response, Project Sakondry aims to increase the resilience of communities in rural Anosy to combat food insecurity in the long term. Contributing to two of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), SDG 2, to ‘end hunger... and promote sustainable agriculture’, and SDG 3, to ‘ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’, SEED is hopeful that the farming of the sakondry bugs is the start of a new chapter for those experiencing food insecurity in Madagascar’s Anosy region. The future is with insects!

References

1. Yi, L., Lakemond, C.M., Sagis, L.M., Eisner-Schadler, V., van Huis, A. and van Boekel, M.A., 2013. Extraction and characterisation of protein fractions from five insect species. Food chemistry, 141(4), pp.3341-3348.
2. Borgerson, C., Fisher, B., Herrera, P., Martinez, K. M., Rajoana, D., Randriamanetsy, J. M., Rasolofoniaina, B. J. R., Razafindrapaoly, B. L., & Aardema, M. L. (n.d.). Zanna tenebrosa: A nutrient- rich edible insect tool for addressing child malnutrition, food insecurity, and unsustainable hunting in Madagascar and Sub-Saharan Africa. Conservation Letters.
3. Ibid.
4. Borgerson, C. et al. (2021). A nutrient‐rich traditional insect for improving food security and reducing biodiversity loss in Madagascar and sub‐Saharan Africa. Conservation Science and Practice, 3(9), e480.