Welcome to the website for the 'Mopane woodlands and the mopane worm: enhancing rural livelihoods and resource sustainability' project. This website is intended to be a resource both for participants in the project and for other interested parties. In addition to general information about participants, the timetable and work in progress we will be making publications from the project available from this site.

A DFID funded project under the Foresty Research Programme to meet the specific DFID objective of alleviation of rural poverty through improved management of woodlands and woodland resources.

Final instar caterpillars of the Mopane Emperor
Moth, Imbrasia belina, ready for harvesting

Dried mopane worms on sale in Thohoyandou market. Click on the picture to see a larger version. Photo. M. McGeogh.

Insects have been widely used across Southern Africa and form an important part of many people's diets. Among these a caterpillar that feeds on the mopane tree, known as the mopane worm, is considered a delicacy by rural and, increasingly, urban populations in southern Africa and beyond. In addition, other mopane woodland products, such as wood for crafts and fuel and fodder for animals are important resources for poor farmers and landless poor people in the region. The trade in mopane worms is now worth several million dollars every year, but mopane worm outbreaks are unpredictable and ephemeral and most of the value is captured by mobile, large scale traders rather than local communities.

The project purpose is to identify the principal biological and socioeconomic factors limiting income from the mopane worm trade. Biological studies will determine how mopane worms and mopane woodland can be managed to increase production. Socioeconomic studies will address the use of mopane worms as a livelihood support for poor rural people. Together these studies will be used to develop techniques for community mopane worm farming to overcome the problems associated with unpredictability of the resource.