Piloting an Insect Approach to Address Malnutrition and Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is a significant global challenge, particularly in Madagascar, which ranks 119 out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index.

Across the island, eight million people are undernourished, leading to early deaths, preterm deliveries, low birth weights, and irreversible cognitive and developmental delays for babies and children.

To help alleviate this hunger crisis, the implementing partner has created a high-protein, insect-based instant porridge formulation for distribution by emergency and development food assistance programs.

The porridge, which contains dried cricket powder as a key ingredient, may provide more protein and iron per serving than other commonly used nutritional supplements and can be baked into a cracker, among other preparations.

Dried cricket powder is entirely local, inexpensive to produce, and aligns with Madagascan dietary preferences, which traditionally include edible insects.

The implementing partner will scientifically test and fine-tune its instant porridge recipe to verify that it contains the ideal ratio and combination of ingredients and meets international nutritional and safety guidelines to qualify for formal accreditation as a nutritional supplement.

As part of this award, the team will finalize a scale-ready version of its porridge and develop a commercial strategy to bring the final product to a national market.

Once the dried cricket instant porridge formulation is accredited, global humanitarian organizations will be able to purchase, use, and distribute it to millions of people in need of nutritional supplementation.