The impact of small-scale cricket farming on household nutrition in Laos

We examined the potential of cricket farming as an innovative solution to improving household nutrition in Laos, where edible insects are already part of traditional diets. We conducted research with a total of 40 rural households in Central Laos, in which small-scale cricket farming was introduced to 20 intervention households. Nutritional situation and changes of all households and cricket production and consumption of the intervention households were assessed. Malnutrition was prevalent amongst the study population and we found indications for dietary inadequacies. Despite fluctuating harvest results and some production failures, most intervention households successfully produced and harvested crickets over five production cycles. Cricket farming was not only appreciated by the project participants, but also spread to non-project households. 70% of the total cricket harvest were used for own consumption and crickets were eaten by all family members, including small children and women, in amounts that improved nutritional adequacy during the brief period following harvest. To increase the impact, production has to be stabilised and adapted to provide a more continuous supply of crickets over the year.