UTILIZATION OF ALATE TERMITES (MacrotermeSpp) TO IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL SECURITY AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN VIHIGA-KENYA

Abstract

Among key concerns all over the globe is the rising demand for high-value protein, expected to double by2050 due to the rapidly growing population in developing economies, Kenya included. To meet the new demand, conventional livestock may prove expensive as the current production system remains unsustainable. Calling for research on alternative sources of protein, hence a switch to affordable and environmentally acceptable protein sources of which approximately 1,900 insect species are consumed worldwide. Alate termites have thus received considerations in this line. However, information utilization and abundance is largely anecdotal and disjointed due to the limited knowledge of sustained off-season production, appropriate processing technology and packaging for all end-user market segments. This survey partly fills this knowledge gap by assessing the capacity of farmers on current harvesting and utilization of the alate termite. The research followed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design that informed data collection from a target population of 64,752 households. A Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 204 households obtained through multistage sampling procedure within Vihiga County Western Kenya. Descriptive and exploratory statistics was applied in summarizing the results while chi- square statistic was used to predict the likelihood of termite collection to improve household diet diversification. R version 4.0.2 (RCore Team, 2020) was employed to carry out data processing. The key findings revealed a strong association between the respondents' socio economic status and respondents’ capacity, including attitude on consumption, methods of utilization. There is a strong association of termite availability and their role in alleviating hunger through household income and food security.Training of the mass about sustainableharvesting methodsand limited use of agrochemicals would therefore go a long way in keeping termite ecosystem.