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

Edible Insects 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? [more...]

Maggots are the next protein in feed alternative 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. [more...]

World biggest grasshopper pie 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. [more...]