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FAO / FORESTS-EDIBLE INSECTS

Addressing the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition in Rome today, Eva Ursula Muller, Director, of Forestry, Economics, Policy and Products Division of FAO talked about insects as a new nutritious and protein-rich food. She said that “insects are now being a novelty in Europe. Plus they are healthy, they’re nutritious and they don’t make you gain weight.” FAO
U130513b
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00:01:59
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U130513b
Description

STORY: FAO / FORESTS-EDIBLE INSECTS
TRT:1.59
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 MAY 2013, ROME, ITALY

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Shotlist

1. Wide shot, conference
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eduardo Rojas-Briales, ADG Forestry Department, FAO:
“As you know forests, trees on farms and agro-forestry contribute to the livelihoods of more than a billion people and many the worlds vulnerable live in and around forests. Forests and forest’s products contribute strongly to food security and agriculture in many ways. There maybe direct ways in the daily production of food. Maybe indirect ways and of course environmental services that forests provide and they’re crucial for agriculture.”
5. Cutaway, conference
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eva Ursula Muller, Director, Forestry, Economics, Policy and Products Division:
“You remember 20 years ago when Sushi appeared for the first time in Europe the people very quickly caught on to this concept of eating raw fish which was also completely new. It was a novelty so in the same way I think insects are now being a novelty in Europe. Plus they are healthy, they’re nutritious and they don’t make you gain weight.”
7. Cutaway, conference
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eva Ursula Muller, Director, Forestry, Economics, Policy and Products Division:
“There are already insects being farmed in some parts of the developed world and that’s mainly for the pet industry, for fish bait, for feeding poultry and so on and probably the fastest growth will be in the developed world but we would also hope to eventually see mass production of insects in developing countries because they’re mainly gathered at the moment, they’re not yet farmed but the potential is there.”
9. Wide shot, press conference

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Storyline

Forests, farm trees, and agro-forestry are critical in the fight against hunger and should be better integrated into food security and land use policies, Eduardo Rojas-Briales, the Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO)’s Assistant Director General said today (13 May) at the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition in Rome.

Rojas-Briales told the conference that forests and forest products contributed strongly to food security and agriculture in many ways, directly when it came to the daily production of food, and indirectly when it came to “environmental services that forests provide” and that “are crucial for agriculture.”

One important source of food coming from forests are insects. And presently they form part of the traditional diets of at least 2 billion people. Insect gathering and farming can offer employment and cash income, for now mostly at the household level, but also potentially in industrial operations.

Eva Muller, Director of FAO’s Forest Economic Policy and Products Division at FAO reminded the conference how some 20 years ago sushi appeared for the first time in Europe and how people very quickly caught on to the concept of eating raw fish.

Muller said “it was a novelty so in the same way I think insects are now being a novelty in Europe. Plus they are healthy, they’re nutritious and they don’t make you gain weight.”

With about 1 million known species, insects account for more than half of all living organisms classified so far on the planet. Many insects are rich in protein and good fats and high in calcium, iron and zinc. Beef has an iron content of 6 mg per 100 g of dry weight, while the iron content of locusts varies between 8 and 20 mg per 100 g of dry weight, depending on the species and the kind of food they themselves consume.

Muller said that already insects were being farmed for the pet industry, fish bait, and for feeding poultry. She added that “probably the fastest growth will be in the developed world but we would also hope to eventually see mass production of insects in developing countries because they’re mainly gathered at the moment, they’re not yet farmed but the potential is there.”

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