Over the past 35 years, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) has restored forests on millions of hectares of land in at least 24 countries. FMNR has also had some surprising results. For example, the introduction of FMNR in the Talensi District of Northern Ghana has boosted farmers’ local poultry production. Traditionally, farmers in that district collected termites and fed them to their poultry as an important protein source. Over the years, frequent bushfires destroyed termite colonies, leaving farmers without an accessible protein source. But with the introduction of FMNR, bushfires are much less common and termites have returned to the area. A document by Samuel Abasiba and Joshua Adombire, both with World Vision Ghana, describes the changes and includes step-by-step instructions for harvesting termites for poultry feed. The method is used to harvest small-sized termites in the genus Microtermes (some kinds of termites are best avoided, either because they are poisonous or because they are prone to bite and kill chicks).
For more about the surprisingly widespread effects of FMNR, view the photo essay and this short video from World Vision Australia.
Cite as:
ECHO Staff 2019. Photo Essay: FMNR Restores Termite Harvesting as Poultry Feed in Talensi, Ghana. ECHO Development Notes no. 144