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FAO / EDIBLE INSECTS
STORY: FAO / EDIBLE INSECTS
TRT: 2.44
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: RECENT, CAMEROON / UNITED STATES
RECENT – UNEP - CAMEROON
1. Wide shot, two women selling larvae of the palm weevil beetle in large paniers.
2. Close up, larvae of the palm weevil beetle
3. Close up, larvae of the palm weevil beetle
4. Wide shot, Steve Abada buying some larvae
5. Close up, Steve’s face
6. Close up, exchange of money
7. Me shot, eve leaving with his bag
8. SOUNDBITE (French)Steve Abada, insect consumer:
“I eat insects like this because they provide nutrition, they nourish the body, they are not too fatty but have lots of good ingredients. If you eat these all the time, you will rarely get sick.”
RECENT – UNEP – DZENG VILLAGE, CAMEROON
9. Wide shot, several families in village of Dzeng gathered to eat a meal including fried grasshoppers
10. Close up, grasshoppers being served
11. Close up, elderly lady eating grasshoppers
12. Various shots, group sitting eating
13. Med shot, young boy eating grasshoppers
14. Wide shot, ladies collecting grasshoppers
15. Close up, grabbing grasshopper
16. Med shot, several women gathered round collecting grasshoppers
17. Close up, grabbing grasshopper
18. Med shot, ladies putting grasshoppers into bottle
19. Various shots, ladies cooking
20. Close up, stirring pan of grasshoppers
21. SOUNDBITE (French) Philomène Enama, Dzeng Village:
“Insects are good because, when we know longer have produce in our fields, they give us a means to live as we prepare the insects to eat. And also, we can sell them. So, they really provide for us.”
22. Various shots, women preparing the grasshoppers for cooking
23. Close up, bottle full of grasshoppers
24. Close up, shaking grasshoppers out of bottle
25. Med shot, rinsing grasshoppers
26. Close up, woman’s face
27. Various shots, peeling grasshoppers
28. Pan left, top of Cameroonian forest
29. Close up, group of caterpillars on tree
30. Close up, ants
31. Close up, grasshopper
32. Close up, butterflies
RECENT, UNEP - TANZANIA
33. Various shots, forest fire
RECENT – UNEP - CAMEROON
34. Wide shot, tree being felled
35. SOUNDBITE (English) Afton Halloran, Consultant, Edible insects programme, FAO:
“Domesticating and rearing insects can help sustain insect populations while also helping counter nutritional insecurity and improve livelihoods. Farming insects has a huge global potential for both animal feed and food production. We are already seeing producers creating animal feed from insects and research. And development is occurring around the world in order incorporate insects into menus and processed foods. Although it is unrealistic to see families in the West eating insects for their Sunday lunch within the next decade, the potential of insects is huge and we hope that slowly but surely this potential will be realised.”
RECENT – UNEP - SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES
36. Various shot, restaurant in San Francisco serving insects on the menu
RECENT – UNEP - DZENG VILLAGE, CAMEROON
37. Women in Dzeng, Cameroon, serving up the grasshoppers
38. Close up, grasshoppers
Here in central Yaoundé, Cameroon, traders are selling some of the region’s most prized delicacies.
Depending on the season, grasshoppers, termites or, in this case, larvae of the palm weevil beetle line the stalls.
SOUNDBITE (French) Steve Abada, insect consumer:
“I eat insects like this because they provide nutrition, they nourish the body, they are not too fatty but have lots of good ingredients. If you eat these all the time, you will rarely get sick.”
Insects make a positive contribution to diets here as they are packed with protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals.
And it’s not only their contribution to local diet that’s important. They are also providing earning opportunities.
Here, in the forests surrounding the village of Dzeng, it’s the grasshopper season. Philomène Enama is collecting grasshoppers along with other women from the village. Some of them she cooks to feed her family of seven. The rest she takes to market for sale.
SOUNDBITE (French) Philomène Enama, Dzeng Village:
“Insects are good because, when we know longer have produce in our fields, they give us a means to live as we prepare the insects to eat. And also, we can sell them. So, they really provide for us.”
In the height of the season, one woman may collect 4 water bottles full of grasshoppers, which she will sell for the equivalent of 15 euros in one day.
The role of women in collecting insects is very important since, in many parts of the world, women are responsible for ensuring that there is food on the table to feed the family.
Until recently, insects were considered an inexhaustible resource. However, human population growth has led to overharvesting of certain species. While forest fires and habitat degradation due to unsustainable logging has brought some species to the brink of extinction.
SOUNDBITE (English) Afton Halloran, Consultant, Edible insects programme, FAO:
“Domesticating and rearing insects can help sustain insect populations while also helping counter nutritional insecurity and improve livelihoods. Farming insects has a huge global potential for both animal feed and food production. We are already seeing producers creating animal feed from insects and research. And development is occurring around the world in order incorporate insects into menus and processed foods. Although it is unrealistic to see families in the West eating insects for their Sunday lunch within the next decade, the potential of insects is huge and we hope that slowly but surely this potential will be realised.”
Population growth, urbanisation and the growing middle class are all contributing to a growing global demand for protein. Insects contain high levels of essential nutrients and vitamins, as well as high protein content comparable to meat products.
It is hoped that insects will be considered a viable supplement to human diets not only here in Central Africa but in many other parts of the world.
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