Cricket Farming in International Development: Protein Security in Emerging Markets

FAO estimates that 80% of the world's population already consumes insects as part of their diet. That statistic reframes the western narrative about insect protein as novel or experimental - for most of the world, eating insects is the norm. The international development sector has picked up on this, and in the past decade, cricket farming in particular has moved from a curiosity in development circles to a funded priority in food security programs across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

This guide covers the landscape of international cricket farming development programs, the organizations funding them, and how US-based cricket farming expertise translates to the international development context. If you're an operator exploring consulting, technology transfer, or development program partnerships, this is the sector map you need.

TL;DR

• FAO estimates that 80% of the world's population already consumes insects as part of their diet.
• In Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, simple wooden bin cricket operations have been running on budgets under $500 USD.
• That statistic reframes the western narrative about insect protein as novel or experimental - for most of the world, eating insects is the norm.
• Conventional livestock protein is expensive to produce and difficult to access in food-insecure regions.
• Cricket farming addresses several of the core constraints:

Low capital requirements: A basic cricket farm can be established with locally available materials.

• FAO has since funded cricket and other insect farming programs in Thailand, Laos, Uganda, and Burkina Faso.
• Thai cricket farming is a model for what organized, policy-supported small-farm cricket production looks like.

Why Cricket Farming for International Food Security

Protein malnutrition - inadequate intake of high-quality protein during childhood - is a persistent challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Conventional livestock protein is expensive to produce and difficult to access in food-insecure regions. Cricket farming addresses several of the core constraints:

Low capital requirements: A basic cricket farm can be established with locally available materials. In Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, simple wooden bin cricket operations have been running on budgets under $500 USD. This is accessible to smallholder farmers in a way that cattle ranching is not.

Short production cycle: The 6-week production cycle from hatching to harvest means farmers see results and income quickly. In development contexts where adoption of new practices requires visible early success, this matters.

Climate compatibility: Cricket species native to tropical and subtropical regions thrive in the warm, humid conditions common in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The energy inputs that US operations in northern climates must spend on heating are often unnecessary in these regions, lowering operating costs further.

Existing cultural acceptance: In many target regions - Thailand, Cambodia, DRC, Uganda, Mexico - insects are already part of the traditional diet. Cricket farming in these contexts is scaling a familiar food source, not introducing a foreign one.

Key International Organizations Funding Cricket Farming

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations): FAO published the landmark 2013 report "Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security" that sparked much of the current international development interest. FAO has since funded cricket and other insect farming programs in Thailand, Laos, Uganda, and Burkina Faso. Their ongoing work includes country-level regulatory frameworks for edible insect production and small farmer training programs.

USAID: US Agency for International Development has funded insect farming components within broader food security and nutrition programs in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. USAID programs typically work through implementing partner organizations (NGOs and research universities) rather than directly with small farms.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: The Gates Foundation has funded multiple insect protein research and development programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, focused on both human nutrition and livestock feed applications. Their small ruminant and poultry programs have included insect meal as a local feed protein source to reduce dependence on imported soy-based feeds.

World Food Programme (WFP): WFP has piloted insect-enriched complementary foods in food assistance programs as a way to address child protein malnutrition with locally produced ingredients. Cricket flour-enriched porridge has been tested in several WFP nutrition programs.

CGIAR Network: CGIAR's research centers, particularly the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, conduct foundational research on insect farming in African contexts. ICIPE has developed training programs and technical guides specifically calibrated for smallholder cricket farmers in East Africa.

Country-Level Cricket Farming Programs

Thailand: Thailand has the most developed commercial cricket farming sector in the world, with approximately 20,000 small-scale cricket farms producing for domestic consumption and export. Thai cricket farming is a model for what organized, policy-supported small-farm cricket production looks like. The Thai government has developed food safety standards specifically for crickets (TAS 9045) that inform regulatory frameworks elsewhere.

Uganda and East Africa: Uganda has active cricket farming development programs supported by ICIPE and international NGOs. Female-headed households have been a particular target population for cricket farming training, given the low capital requirements and ability to integrate with household food production.

Mexico and Latin America: Traditional insect consumption in Mexico (chapulines, chicatanas) has supported development of commercial cricket farming for both domestic and export markets. NGO programs in southern Mexico and Central America have incorporated cricket farming into livelihood programs for indigenous and smallholder farming communities.

Cambodia and Southeast Asia: Cambodia has an active small-scale cricket farming sector. Development programs have worked to improve food safety practices and connect smallholder producers to urban and export markets.

How US Cricket Farm Expertise Translates to International Contexts

US commercial cricket farms operate at larger scales and with more technology than most international development programs target. However, several areas of US expertise transfer directly:

Genetics and species selection: US farms have developed experience with Acheta domesticus breeding that is relevant where this species is being introduced or improved.

Food safety practices: HACCP thinking and basic food safety documentation are increasingly required by export-oriented development programs and can be taught by US-experienced practitioners.

Production systems design: Bin design, feeding regimes, moisture management, and harvest timing are all translatable knowledge regardless of scale.

Business development: Connecting smallholder producers to markets - the hardest part of agricultural development programs - draws on the same customer development and supply chain knowledge that US cricket farm operators build.

For consulting or technical assistance engagements in international development, the pathway typically runs through FAO, USAID implementing partners, CGIAR centers, or international agricultural development NGOs. Formal technical assistance deployments in development programs often require institutional affiliation (university, NGO, or development contractor), though individual consultant arrangements are possible for short-term technical assistance.

For the broader industry context, see insect protein industry overview. For farm operations guidance applicable in any context, see cricket farm management.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is cricket farming used in international development programs?

Cricket farming is used in international development programs primarily as a protein security tool - a way to produce high-quality protein at low cost using locally available resources. Programs typically focus on smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, where conventional livestock protein is expensive or inaccessible. Development program applications include household food production for direct consumption, small commercial operations to generate income, cricket meal as a local livestock feed protein source, and insect-enriched complementary foods for child nutrition programs. FAO, USAID, and the Gates Foundation are among the major funders. ICIPE in Nairobi is a central technical resource for African programs.

What organizations fund cricket farming in developing countries?

The primary funders of cricket farming in developing countries include FAO (food security and regulatory framework programs), USAID (through implementing partner NGOs and research institutions), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (smallholder nutrition and poultry feed programs in Sub-Saharan Africa), World Food Programme (food assistance program testing), and CGIAR research centers, particularly ICIPE in Nairobi for East African programs. Country-level programs are often funded through combinations of these international sources plus national agricultural development funds. In Southeast Asia, Thailand's own government investment has been the primary driver of the world's most developed small-scale cricket farming sector, which now serves as a model for development programs elsewhere.

How can US cricket farm expertise be applied to international development projects?

US cricket farm operators have relevant expertise in production systems design (bin configuration, feeding protocols, moisture management), genetics and species management, food safety and HACCP practices, and business development for connecting producers to markets. This expertise can be applied through consulting engagements with development organizations, university partnerships with international agricultural research programs, technical assistance deployments through USAID implementing partners, or direct collaboration with CGIAR centers. Short-term technical assistance is the most common format. Formal deployments typically require institutional affiliation. The most in-demand US expertise in international development contexts is food safety documentation and market linkage - the areas where smallholder programs most frequently need outside support.

How does CricketOps help track the metrics described in this article?

CricketOps provides bin-level logging for the variables that drive production outcomes -- feed inputs, environmental conditions, mortality events, and harvest results. Rather than maintaining these records in separate spreadsheets, you can view performance trends across bins and over time to identify which operational variables correlate with better outcomes in your specific facility.

Where can I find industry benchmarks to compare my operation's performance?

The North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA) publishes periodic industry reports with production benchmarks. University extension programs in agricultural states, including the University of Georgia and University of Florida IFAS, occasionally publish insect farming production data. Industry conferences hosted by the Entomological Society of America and the Insects to Feed the World symposium series are additional sources of peer benchmarking data.

What is the biggest operational mistake cricket farmers make in their first year?

Expanding bin count before achieving consistent FCR and mortality targets in existing bins is the most common and costly first-year mistake. At 5-10 bins, problems are manageable. At 30-50 bins, the same proportional problems represent much larger financial losses. Most experienced cricket farmers recommend holding expansion until you have three consecutive production cycles hitting your FCR and mortality targets.

Sources

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) -- Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security
• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA)
• Entomological Society of America
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (Wageningen Academic Publishers)

Get Started with CricketOps

The practices covered in this article are easier to apply consistently when they are supported by organized production data. CricketOps gives cricket farmers the tools to track what matters -- by bin, by batch, and over time. Start your next production cycle in CricketOps and see how organized data changes the way you manage your operation.