Sustainable cricket farming

A partnership to scale an innovative cricket farming venture in Vietnam to benefit the climate, farmers and consumers. A marketing campaign and technology & product innovations will promote the consumption of crickets and catalyse growth in this exciting new industry.  

Context

More than 2,100 insect species are eaten by two billion people from 130 countries on a regular basis. Insects have high-value nutritional profiles and commercial insect farming has a low environmental footprint. Compared with beef, producing 1kg of edible crickets creates 100 times fewer greenhouse gases, 10,000 times less land, 15 times less feed, and 8000 times less water.

About the initiative

This initiative aims to develop and scale an innovative cricket farming venture in Vietnam to benefit the climate, farmers and consumers. Cricket farming is a new industry and the technology used for the production and processing of cricket meat is in its infancy. This initiative will innovate across the supply chain, from farming to increase productivity,  processing  to enhance the taste, texture and flavour of cricket-based meat while generating demand at the consumer level through a marketing campaign aimed at shifting public perception.

Cricket One uses a decentralised farming model, engaging smallholder farmers to produce crickets. Through the partnership, smallholder farmers will receive a cricket farming training package and be supported through Entomo’s digital platform. The platform will increase productivity for smallholder farmers and lower production costs.

Qualified farmers will have the opportunity to enter a contract with Cricket One where output purchasing is guaranteed. The initiative will set the foundations for a new industry that benefits cricket farmers, processors, consumers, and the environment.

Enhancing women’s role in the supply chain

Cricket One has set targets for the number of women trained, women employed and developed gender-sensitive payment policies. Through the partnership it will address inequality using the following strategies:

• Cricket One targets women in smallholder farming households and plans to train over 50 women on the basics of cricket farming.
• Of the 20 additional factory and farm workers that will be hired within the BPP initiative, 70% will be women.
• Cricket One has an equal terms/equal pay policy and offers flexible working.

Key contributions from partners

• Cricket One is contributing the cricket-based meat processing technology and a marketing campaign to educate and shift perception of cricket meat to consumers.
• Entomo Ventures is contributing a digital platform for cricket farming which to increase productivity and lower production costs.
• Australian Government is contributing catalytic funding support with gender expertise to strengthen social and commercial impacts, connection to an extensive network, capability building on how to capture report social impact, safeguards standards and practices, national and global recognition.

Hear from our partners

“Insects are the missing link in our food system. Cricket food is both environmentally friendly and climate resilient. To combat climate change, a lot of things have to change including consumers’ perception, process, and technology. This partnership takes that holistic approach to innovate across the supply chain of cricket farming, processing and marketing to make the food more sustainable, affordable and accessible. Together with our partners, we are excited to show how we can pioneer the sustainable food production to benefit community, planet and consumers”  Nam Dang, CEO of Cricket One.

This partnership was selected through the BPP’s Vietnam 2020 Call for Green Recovery Partnerships.