“Promoting underutilized plants and insects in managing malnutrition and poverty alleviation in low-income Countries"

Research Project, 2024 – 2025

The overall objective of the proposed research proposal is to further our knowledge of the relationship between a diet based on edible insects, underutilized plants and safe staple foods (cereals and starchy tubers) with low exposure to aflatoxins for food and nutrition security. The research project is targeting the SDG 2 – ending malnutrition and achieving food security, crucial goals for achieving poverty alleviation (SDG 1). Undernutrition
exists in multiple forms of which micronutrient deficiencies (iron and vitamin A) and child stunting are the most prevalent. Food-based strategies are sustainable approaches to ensure food and nutrition security for vulnerable groups in low-income countries. To enhance the availability and utilization of foods with high nutrient content, the use of underexploited traditional foods such as vegetables and insects with potentially high nutritional value are proposed. Various insects provide important nutrients, but their potential to enhance the nutritional value as supplements to staple foods are unknown; and a majority of the vegetables in Africa is still unexplored for their nutritional value. Our project aims to investigate the use of insects and underutilized vegetables to nutritionally
enrich staple foods for children and women in low-income countries; and to gain knowledge how to domesticate these foods for income generation and thus achieve poverty reduction by wealth creation and a self-sustaining society.