EDIBLE INSECTS FOR FOOD AND FEED Insect larvae in granola breakfast in Denmark ©NORDIC FOOD LAB / JOSH EVANS
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Insects have high feed conversion efficiency, for example 2kg of feed, 1 kg of insect mass compared to 8kg of feed for 1 kg of body weight gain in cattle.
The production of greenhouse gases by most insects is likely to be lower than that of conventional livestock.
Insect farming is less land-dependent and insects use significantly less water. Insects can recycle nutrients from bio-waste into high quality protein. Insects are important providers of ecosystem services such as pollination, decomposition of organic litter.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Insects provide protein and nutrients comparable with meat and fish.
LIVELIHOOD AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
Insect gathering from wild sources or rearing in farms can offer important livelihood diversification strategies.
Chicken being fed with insect meal in South Africa
FAO’S ROLE
©AGRIPROTEIN
Generation and sharing of knowledge through publications,
expert meetings and a web portal on edible insects
Networking and cross-sectorial interaction
among nutritionists, legislators, farmers, environmentalists and entrepreneurs
Awareness-raising on the role of insects through the media Project support to
member countries through field projects
Further information about the work of FAO on edible insects is available at:
www.fao.org/forestry/edibleinsects/en/ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FOE/Edible Insect Programme Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy DESIGN: kate@quartodesign.com