Although not usually considered a minilivestock activity, wild African silkmoths have been exploited in the past but could now be partially domesticated to generate valuable income for farmers. Asian countries are no longer producing enough raw silk to satisfy demand but African farmers could reap the benefits of this market opportunity by supplementing their income with silk production, or sericulture. Until recently, very few people were aware of the potential of wild African silkmoths. Unlike Asian silkmoths, which have been domesticated over hundreds of years, the wild African silkmoths are not easy to rear in captivity. Attempts are now being made to develop an artificial diet for laboratory rearing.
Silk production requires effort and persistence, particularly from the wild silkmoths.
Wild silk production can therefore provide a strong economic incentive for rural communities to adopt sound land management practices in addition to subsistence agriculture.