Non-Wood Forest Products

Leaves of the shea tree, Butyrospermum parkii

Established in 1991, the promotion and development of non-wood forest products (NWFP) is one of the priority areas of FAO's Forestry Department. Our mission is to improve the sustainable utilization of NWFP in order to contribute to the wise management of the world's forests, to conserve their biodiversity, and to improve income generation and food security.

The programme accomplishes this mission through four main areas:

• gathering, analysis and dissemination of information
• appraisal of NWFP socio-economic contributions to rural development
• networking
• technical assistance

News

Interview: The case for bugs, Bloomberg TV FAO consultant, Afton Halloran, describes the use of insects as food in developing nations to provide nutrients missed in local food supplies and how the practice is spreading globally. She speaks on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse." [more]

New publication: Edible insects - Future prospects for food and feed security 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. [more]

Information guide: The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment 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. [more]