Opportunities, challenges and policy gaps for sustainable consumption of edible long-horned grasshopper, Ruspolia differens, in Uganda: a review

We reviewed the nutritional value, bioecology, legal framework and the value chain of Uganda’s most popular edible insect, Ruspolia differens. Using a review of existing literature sources, the prospects, difficulties, and necessary regulatory framework for enhancing its consumption are outlined. We found that this insect is largely harvested from the wild during two swarming seasons between November to December (the major season) and April to May. Various actors are employed at different nodes of R. differens value chain, namely trapping, transporting, wholesaling, processing and retailing. Wholesalers buy the grasshoppers from collectors/trappers and sell to retailers who in turn sell to consumers. The value chain is dominated by men, who mainly engage in trapping and wholesaling. Women and children take up the processing roles. Using processed R. differens as an ingredient in foods is not yet fully exploited despite the high potential of the insect for processing. The main challenges facing the grasshopper value chain are high costs of installing electricity at the trapping sites, regular replacement of mercury bulbs used to attract the insects to the traps, contamination of the harvest during trapping and weak regulatory framework for grasshopper harvesting and conservation. Development of protocols for mass rearing, preservation, and processing of the insects is highly desirable to sustain their supply. This should be accompanied by community sensitization and strengthening regulations on conservation of wild populations of the insect.