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New publication: Edible insects - Future prospects for food and feed security

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Launched during the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition, this publication describes the contribution of insects to food security. It shows the many traditional and potential new uses of insects for direct human consumption and the opportunities for and constraints to farming them for food and feed. It examines the body of research on issues such as insect nutrition and food safety, the use of insects as animal feed, and the processing and preservation of insects and their products.

Information guide: The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment

Sat, 11 May 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Since 2003, FAO has been working on edible insects in many countries worldwide. Click to see a new information guide on insects and food security.

South African factory for mass-rearing insects wins UN prize

Tue, 07 May 2013 22:00:00 GMT

A fly factory that transforms blood, guts, manure and discarded food into animal feed has walked away with a $100 000 UN-backed innovation prize. The South Africa-based initiative uses the prolific egg layers to recycle industry's cast-offs into reusable protein by mimicking nature and harnessing the winged insects, usually regarded as pests. The factory won the Innovation Prize for Africa, a joint initiative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Innovation Foundation.

Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Coming soon, a new book "Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security" and an information guide will be launched during the forthcoming International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition, 13 – 15 May 2013 at FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy.

The information guide "The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment" is a 4 page summary of the key issues addressed in “Edible insects: future prospects for feed and food security.” It is intended for a broad range of stakeholders such as the media and decision makers. The Spanish and French versions of the guide will also be available soon.

Insect farming maybe a way forward for more protein rich food in Asia

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Working with the Laotian Health Ministry, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched an “edible insects project” in Laos in 2010 with a two-year budget of US$475,000 to boost insect production and harvesting for consumption.

China's maggot factories hoping to feed the world

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:00:00 GMT

KUNYANG - Li Jinsui is an ambitious man. He invested 250,000 euros of his own money in this insect factory, sitting amidst the hills of Kunyang, on the outskirts of Kunming, the capital of the southwestern province of Yunnan. With seven patents, production officially kicked off in 2009.

USA - Commercial scale production of sustainable, insect-based feeds

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Yellow Springs, Ohio-based EnviroFlight was founded with the mission to develop insect-based feed ingredients and nutritionally balanced diets that support optimal performance and animal health. EnviroFlight’s patent-pending technologies make it possible to commercially produce aquaculture and specialty feeds from bio-fuel co-products.

Research: Insect protein as animal feed

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:00:00 GMT

A project to develop insect-derived feed protein that could help replace expensive soya bean meal and fishmeal in poultry and pig diets has been announced by AB Agri parent company of ABN.

Future foods: What will we be eating in 20 years' time?

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Volatile food prices and a growing population mean we have to rethink what we eat, say food futurologists. So what might we be serving up in 20 years' time?

Insects creap into mainstream market

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Khon Kaen, Thailand - Bugs have been on the menu in Thailand for ages but only recently have they migrated from the forests to commercial farms and factories.

National Insect Week 2012 - Children sample edible insects

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Children at a UK primary school have been sampling edible insects to mark National Insect Week 2012.

An Incredible Skyscraper That Breeds Insects for Food

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Green's idea is to turn buildings into buzzing and self-sustaining hives of edible insects. The honeycomb-like growth on the upper floors is composed of individual "cells" with crickets breeding in the walls.

Insects as animal feed commodity appears feasible

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Because insects can turn low-grade biomass, such as all kinds of rest and by-products, into high-quality protein, they can be an interesting link in the feed chain and partly answer to the rising global demand for protein.

"Foods of Poor" Rich for Nutrition/Health

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Denigrated by some as “foods of the poor” or “forgotten foods,” indigenous and traditional foods can play an important role in stemming the tide of hunger, malnutrition and a dangerous decline in biodiversity. “The focus of research and crop improvement on a few widely consumed crops has helped meet the food needs of the rapidly growing world population, but it has narrowed dramatically the number of species upon which global food security and agricultural incomes depend,’’ said Hiroyuki Konuma of the FAO (UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization). “Go local. Enhance local food security; and maximize the utilization of locally available foods,’’ Among neglected traditional foods in Asia that could help meet the needs of local populations are forest fruits, sago palm, medicinal wild plants and edible insects.

The food that really bugs

Mon, 28 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Fancy some ground up insects in your frappuccino or how about in your child's strawberry yoghurt? If you didn't know insects might be part of your daily diet you aren't alone. Recent revelations about the use of crushed cochineal insects in our food have been provoking outrage from consumers.

Roasted crickets can be gourmet or life-sustaining food

Wed, 23 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

A year and a half ago, Johar formed World Entomophagy, a business that produces wholesale raw edible insects. An undergraduate entomology student in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Harman’s business grew from his undergraduate research project in entomophagy, the study of humans eating insects.

Bugs for dinner?

Sun, 06 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Bugs don't use much water the way cows do. They have a hard exoskeleton and a shell with little holes used for breathing. They can also shut those holes and seal up their bodies so they don't lose water when it's hot. Other animals, including us, can't do that; we sweat to cool our bodies. Insects are more efficient and don't waste much water.

Edible Insects

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:00:00 GMT

If you enter ‘edible insects’ into Google, you are immediately confronted by websites offering fried grasshoppers and butterfly sweets; it’s clearly a big market, so what are we missing?

Maggots are the next protein in feed alternative

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:00:00 GMT

A British entrepreneur in South Africa believes that maggots, the larvae of the common house fly (Musca domestica), are a viable protein-rich alternative to make animal feed.

World biggest grasshopper pie

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:00:00 GMT

A cake filled with edible insects in the shape of the cookbook "The Insect Cookbook" is displayed at the University of Wageningen April 17, 2012. Research by scientists at the university showed that insects could provide the best source of protein to meet the needs of a rising population.