The Next Einstein COMPETITION ENTRY

ENTRY DESCRIPTION

In Tanzania, sustainable, year round food production can be used to empower women and provide them with lasting economic opportunities.

In November 2016 I met Maimuna Kanyamala, founder of Makono Yetu (“with our hands”). It is an organization that empowers women and girls to “access, own and control land resources productively and profitably” in the Lake Victoria Region of Tanzania. There are currently many problems in her community including inadequate knowledge of entrepreneurial skills, malnutrition, infant mortality and gender-based violence. I became aware that insects are a key part of the diet in her community, however they are caught individually and are seasonal. If there was a way to create year round controlled production of insects, some of the problems facing the people in her village could be alleviated. A feasible solution to improve food security in her community is the development of a cricket farm. Cricket farms can produce a substantial amount of food with few inputs. Even a small operation can produce thousands of crickets per week. We could partner with established cricket producers in Canada, such as Entomo Farms to develop the right structural solution for her community. Women from her community could be employed to operate the farm and make a reasonable living. The output of this process is a nutritious protein source that can feed the local people. This solution also coincides with her organization’s mission of economic empowerment and environmental sustainability. Finally, this idea is scalable to surrounding villages and regions. Creating a network of low input, local food production centres is an excellent way to strengthen communities within the developing world.