Abstract
The edible stinkbug Encosternum delegorguei is an obscure commodity derived from the cuisine of at least five ethnic groups in three sub-Saharan African countries. Derisive names and the obnoxious stench produced by stinkbugs belie the fact that they are nutritious and, once the odorous alarm pheromone is removed, a high demand delicacy. Annually almost four tons of dry stinkbugs are harvested in South Africa’s dry season (May to August). Income from selling stinkbugs mainly benefits women in impoverished rural communities and is used to improve livelihoods. The cumulative impacts of overexploitation, unsustainable harvesting methods, increasing commercialisation and land transformation could threaten this cultural practice. Domestication of stinkbugs and use of the left over waste water from processing stinkbugs could add more value to this bio-resource and assist in the alleviation of poverty and hunger. This study reinforces recent United Nations reports where insects are depicted as an eco-friendly, nutritious food source with potential to contribute to global food security.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Dr Rob Toms for proposing the research, the stinkbug harvesters for information sharing and our translators Enick Mohale, Buisang Ntlozi, Thabelo Sekome, Mashudu Thagwana and Gilbert Tshikosi. Elsa de Jager of the South African Weather Service is thanked for drought occurrence data. We appreciate comments on the paper provided by Prof. Marcus Byrne and Dr Jenny Botha.
Author contributions
Joint conception of this paper, writing, data collection and analysis was done by CD with support from EW.
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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Online Resource 1
Hills and valleys where stinkbugs are collected during the dry season, in Venda, Limpopo Province, South Africa. (JPEG 1307 kb)
Online Resource 2
A youth places fills a plastic bag with prepared stinkbugs that are stored on bags. Next to him is a white enamel mug used for measuring. (JPEG 1109 kb)
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Dzerefos, C.M., Witkowski, E.T.F. Crunchtime: sub-Saharan stinkbugs, a dry season delicacy and cash cow for impoverished rural communities. Food Sec. 7, 919–925 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-015-0479-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-015-0479-0