Project Sakondry
Through the establishment of edible insect farming across communities in southeast Madagascar, Project Sakondry aims to increase the affordability, accessibility, and stability of sustainable, nutrient-rich protein sources that will directly improve food security and livelihood opportunities for communities across Anosy.
Madagascar has one of the highest rates of food insecurity globally, with nearly 70% of the population living under the poverty line. As a result, the diet in Madagascar is severely deficient in many macro and micro-nutrients including calories, fat, B12, and zinc. Many households also rely on Madagascar’s biodiversity for nutrition, with 40% of bushmeat consumed by children under five and pregnant women.
Pioneered by project partner Dr Cortni Borgeson in the northeast of Madagascar, insect farming has been shown to be a more sustainable option in providing nutrients in the human diet. As a comparable source of protein to livestock, insect farming also releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less resources to produce the equivalent amount of meat.
The Zanna genus of insects, known locally as sakondry, are tropical planthoppers found in sub-Saharan Africa. Traditionally eaten in Madagascar, the insects arrive independently to edible host bean plants (antaky) and quickly establish colonies, providing a high forest-derived source of calories, fats, and micro-nutrients. Sakondry has the potential to provide an alternative source of ‘meat’ protein whilst the antaky beans can also increase dietary diversity as a source of pulses.
Project Sakondry will provide households with the materials, knowledge, and support to farm sakondry for household consumption, aiming to improve dietary diversity and nutrient availability for vulnerable, low-income households, in particular, for individuals in nutritionally-sensitive life stages such as pregnant women and young children. The project will also enable households to supplement household income through the sale of sakondry as a food source, easing reliance on natural resources and aiding species conservation efforts.
From plant to plate: 1) the antaky host plant, 2) sakondry colonise the plant, 3) prepare and cook the sakondry.
Current Work:
Project Sakondry
Funded by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, the current project targets five rural communities experiencing high rates of moderate to severe acute malnutrition within the Fort Dauphin district. The combined effects of drought (the worst since 1981), low agricultural productivity, COVID-19, and a chronic lack of sufficient nutrients have rendered communities in the Anosy region severely food insecure, in need of both immediate relief and long-term recovery.
Priority has been given to pregnant women or those with children under five years that, due to high poverty levels in the region, are deemed the most vulnerable. Targeting 825 households in total, SEED will train 200 female household representatives in four communities to grow native bean species and to farm, harvest and cook sakondry. This will directly benefit approximately 860 individuals, including 200 women of reproductive age and 520 children. In the one community where familiarity with insect farming already exists, community-wide training will take place to enhance existing knowledge. This is estimated to reach up to 625 households or 2,750 individuals, of whom at least 625 are women of reproductive age, and 1,500 are children.
In aiming to increase food security for over 3,600 people, this six month programme aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Increase engagement in insect farming for up to 825 food insecure households in five rural communities
- Increase availability of micro- and macro-nutrients in the diets of women of reproductive age and children under five in five rural communities.
- Improve capacity of women to generate household income through the sale of excess insects and beans across five rural communities long-term.
Past Work:
Reducing COVID-19-related food insecurity through household farming in southeast Madagascar
In January-March 2021, SEED implemented a three-month rapid response project funded by the Darwin Initiative, aimed at reducing COVID-19 related food insecurity through household farming in southeast Madagascar. The project piloted the impact of insect farming at household level to increase food security and diet diversity for 45 households. By project end, sakondry farming demonstrated efficacy and sustainability as a supplementary livelihood and successfully contributed to greater dietary diversity and food availability within target communities.
Achievements
- 45 households taught how to grow host plants, how to harvest and cook sakondry safely, and how to protect host plants from pests.
- 100% of households successfully germinated antaky seedlings by project end; 2,769 plants in total.
- 75 plants colonised by project end and expected to increase.
- Up to 25 insects per plant by project end.
- 100% training session attendance by all household representatives.
- High motivation for project expansion; 100% of beneficiaries eager to increase edible insect numbers.
- 93% of beneficiaries planned to continue growing antaky.
- Increased understanding of the nutritional value of sakondry amongst beneficiaries.
- Visual Learning Aids (VLAs) distributed to supplement and enhance training.
- Women, in particular, equipped with the skills to farm sakondry and the opportunity to generate household income.
- Promotion of insect farming as an indefinite food source for long term recovery from COVID-19.
- Increased understanding of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and food insecurity in target communities.
Donors
Project Sakondry and previous edible insect farming initiatives are possible thanks to the generosity of:
