生業複合における昆虫養殖の価値に関する研究

中央タイのコオロギ養殖を事例に

抄録

With growing interest in entomophagy (the practice of eating insects) as a new eco-friendly alternative protein, household-level and small-scale insect farming is expanding in Thailand, a country with rich entomophagy culture. However, few studies have assessed the value of insect farming in terms of livelihood diversification. This study investigated the value of cricket farming and its utility in relation to other livelihoods through semi-structured interviews and participatory observations in cricket farms in central Thailand, where cricket farming is becoming more popular. The results revealed that insect farmers valued the high economic efficiency, low workload, low risk, and high well-being associated with insect farming. Furthermore, it was also found that insect farming resulted in lean and well-organized systems with other livelihoods by reusing waste or side products between livelihood components. This study highlighted that cricket farming was chosen for a variety of reasons including age, religion, and prior experience as immigrant labor. Insect farming is expected to contribute to long-term rural development.