Lessons from a participatory community cricket breeding project in Vientiane Province, Lao PDR

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Abstract
Edible insect production is a key tool for sustainable development and global food security, but its social dimensions and the organisation of farming operations remain understudied. Crickets are among the most recognised edible insects for farming and offer appealing development opportunities for Lao PDR – a Southeast Asian country whose cricket farming sector has lagged behind neighbouring Thailand and which continues to experience challenging economic and food security conditions. Concerning these sustainable development and research priorities, this paper presents the case study analysis of a service evaluation of Cricket Lao Farm, which implemented a project on the distributed (off-site) production of crickets among local community members. Data collection took place from September to November 2023 and included a survey with 30 participants complemented by qualitative information from discussion groups, home visits, informal conversations, and project documentation. While small-scale farming operations ended within a year due to widespread cricket mortality of unknown cause, community-based cricket farming was in principle profitable and demonstrated strong development potential and local relevance. Furthermore, most of the community-based farmers were motivated and interested in resuming operations in the future. The analysis of this case offers important lessons for further development of the cricket farming sector in Lao PDR, highlighting the challenges of the Western social enterprise model in a development setting, the need to actively manage participation, and to develop an understanding of local community structures before commencing operations. To ensure future success, projects should include robust monitoring and evaluation plans; regular and bidirectional communication between community members and the central farm; co-development of breeding strategies, response plans, and good animal husbandry practices; and community engagement activities involving local schools.

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