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What determines farmers’ awareness and interest in adopting cricket farming? A pilot study from Kenya

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Abstract

Farming crickets for human consumption is emerging as a promising novel and sustainable animal-source food production system. Cricket farming in Kenya first began in 2013; however, adoption rates have been slower than expected. This paper presents a pilot study of farmers’ awareness of and interest in adopting cricket farming as a new agricultural technology in three counties of Nyanza district, Kenya. A household questionnaire was conducted and included farmers who practised cricket farming as well as those who did not practice cricket farming. Thirteen focus group discussions were also held with adopters (those farming crickets), exposed (trained) non-adopters, and non-exposed (untrained) non-adopters. Our results show that awareness is influenced by proximity to an existing cricket farm; the number of sources of agricultural information; frequency of consumption of animal source foods; frequency of fruit consumption; farm size; crop diversity score; off-farm income; frequency of visits to an extension office; and the consumption of crickets. Some of these factors – together with ownership of a mobile phone, the degree of risk averseness and the consumption of termites – also influence interest in adopting cricket farming. Adequate equipment, space, and housing were the most cited barriers to the adoption of cricket farming. Overall, the results of this pilot study suggest that cricket farming is still relatively unknown and adoption is low amongst rural smallholders in Kenya, which is explained by various factors. However, this pilot study should be followed with a more comprehensive study to investigate the adoption of cricket farming and its drivers.

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Notes

  1. Baraza is a Swahili word describing the semi-formal and mostly regular public (open air) meetings convened by a local chief for purposes of addressing local issues and facilitating the percolation of state agenda and policy to the grassroots

  2. This cricket species was later confirmed as Brachytrupes membranaceus Drury

  3. Farmers who have been trained in cricket farming but have not yet adopted

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Acknowledgements

A wholehearted thanks to the wonderful enumerator team that carried out the household questionnaires: Denish Ongola, Bonface Oketch, Godrick Maradona, Dennis Sewe and Millicent Oganda. Thanks to Patrick for providing transportation to the field sites. Special thanks to Meghan Anderson, Philistine Adero, and Christian Ritz.

Funding

This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Doctoral grant number 752–2015-0271); the Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (FFU), Danish International Development Assistance (Danida), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark (GREEiNSECT Grant no. 13-06KU); and the Nordic Africa Institute Ph.D. travel scholarships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Afton Halloran & Nanna Roos

  2. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Ukwala-Bondo Rd, Bondo, Kenya

    Monica Ayieko & Jacqueline Oloo

  3. Department of Nutrition Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya

    Silvenus Ochieng Konyole

  4. Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 25, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Mohammed Hussen Alemu

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  1. Afton Halloran
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Correspondence to Afton Halloran.

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Halloran, A., Ayieko, M., Oloo, J. et al. What determines farmers’ awareness and interest in adopting cricket farming? A pilot study from Kenya. Int J Trop Insect Sci 41, 2149–2164 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-020-00333-2

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