Edible insects as a pathway to resilient food systems: Update from the AgriFoSe2030 project in Zimbabwe

After an early change of community site, the project has found its stride. In Zimbabwe, community members have taken part in edible insect rearing trainings, building practical skills in producing insects as a sustainable source of food and income. The community processing hub is now set up and running. Members are being trained and are carrying out processing activities themselves, including oil extraction and fruit drying. The hub is where research becomes practice, so this is a major step toward community-owned enterprise.

The project has also gained visibility. Our Exocrunch product line, with its new branding and packaging, was showcased at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in April 2026. It also featured at both the Mashonaland West Agricultural Show and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in August 2026. These events let us talk directly with consumers and promote the hub’s activities. In Namibia, a market survey on edible insect diversity and consumption is complete and is now being written up as an article. Product development there has begun, informed by the survey findings. An exchange visit in Harare in February 2026 also brought the three country teams together to review progress and visit the Chinhoyi University of Technology Innovation Hub and Mbare Musika market.

Over the coming months, a series of value addition trainings will be held at the community processing hub. They will build on the oil extraction and fruit drying already under way and equip participants to turn local produce into market-ready products. We will also finalise the remaining training modules and start the Zambia baseline survey. In parallel, we are developing an iron supplement product made from winged termites, a promising way to address nutrition using locally available insects.