UN urges people to eat insects to fight world hunger

Eating more insects could help fight world hunger, according to a new UN report.

The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution.

It notes than over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects.
However it admits that "consumer disgust" remains a large barrier in many Western countries.

Insect nutritional value /100g

Food source	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)
Source: Montana State University
Caterpillar	28.2	n/a	35.5
Grasshopper	20.6	35.2	5
Dung beetle	17.2	30.9	7.7
Minced beef	27.4	n/a	3.5

Wasps, beetles and other insects are currently "underutilised" as food for people and livestock, the report says. Insect farming is "one of the many ways to address food and feed security".
"Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly, and they have high growth and feed conversion rates and a low environmental footprint," according to the report.

Nutritional value The authors point out that insects are nutritious, with high protein, fat and mineral content.
They are "particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children".
Insects are also "extremely efficient" in converting feed into edible meat. Crickets, for example, need 12 times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, according to the report.
Most insects are are likely to produce fewer environmentally harmful greenhouse gases than other livestock.

The ammonia emissions associated with insect-rearing are far lower than those linked to conventional livestock such as pigs, says the report.

Delicacies

 

The report calls for insect dishes to be added to restaurant menus

Insects are regularly eaten by many of the world's population, but the thought may seem shocking to many Westerners.

The report suggests that the food industry could help in "raising the status of insects" by including them in new recipes and adding them to restaurant menus.
It goes on to note that in some places, certain insects are considered delicacies.

For example some caterpillars in southern Africa are seen as luxuries and command high prices.
Most edible insects are gathered in forests and serve niche markets, the report states.
It calls for improved regulation and production for using insects as feed.
"The use of insects on a large scale as a feed ingredient is technically feasible, and established companies in various parts of the world are already leading the way," it adds.

Bee deaths: EU to ban neonicotinoid pesticides

The European Commission will restrict the use of pesticides linked to bee deaths by researchers, despite a split among EU states on the issue.

There is great concern across Europe about the collapse of bee populations.

Neonicotinoid chemicals in pesticides are believed to harm bees and the European Commission says they should be restricted to crops not attractive to bees and other pollinators.

But many farmers and crop experts argue that there is insufficient data.
Fifteen countries voted in favour of a ban - not enough to form a qualified majority. According to EU rules the Commission will now have the option to impose a two-year restriction on neonicotinoids - and the UK cannot opt out.

The Commission says it wants the moratorium to begin no later than 1 December this year.
The UK did not support a ban - it argues that the science behind the proposal is inconclusive. It was among eight countries that voted against, while four abstained.

Wild species such as honey bees are said by researchers to be responsible for pollinating around one-third of the world's crop production.

There is heated debate about what has triggered the widespread decline in bee populations. Besides chemicals, many experts point to the parasitic varroa mite, viruses that attack bees and neglect of hives.

After Monday's vote the EU Health Commissioner, Tonio Borg, said "the Commission will go ahead with its text in the coming weeks".

Continue reading the main story

What exactly are Neonicotinoids?

• Nicotine is not just lethal to humans in the form of cigarettes, but the chemical is also extremely toxic to insects
• Neonicotinoid pesticides are new nicotine-like chemicals and act on the nervous systems of insects, with a lower threat to mammals and the environment than many older sprays
• Pesticides made in this way are water soluble, which means they can be applied to the soil and taken up by the whole plant - they are called "systemic", meaning they turn the plant itself into a poison factory, with toxins coming from roots, leaves, stems and pollen
• Neonicotinoids are often applied as seed treatments, which means coating the seeds before planting.

"I pledge to do my utmost to ensure that our bees, which are so vital to our ecosystem and contribute over 22bn euros (£18.5bn; $29bn) annually to European agriculture, are protected."

Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said Monday's vote "makes it crystal clear that there is overwhelming scientific, political and public support for a ban.
"Those countries opposing a ban have failed."

An EU vote last month was inconclusive, so the Commission proposal went to an appeals committee on Monday - and again the countries were split on the issue.
Some restrictions are already in place for neonicotinoids in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.
The three neonicotinoids are clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam.

A report published by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) in January concluded that the pesticides posed a "high acute risk" to pollinators, including honeybees.
However, it added that in some cases it was "unable to finalise the assessments due to shortcomings in the available data"

 

 Intensive lobbying
There was ferocious lobbying both for and against in the run-up to Monday's vote, the BBC's Chris Morris reports from Brussels.

Nearly three million signatures were collected in support of a ban. Protesters against neonicotinoids rallied in Westminster on Friday.

Campaign organiser Andrew Pendleton of the environmental group Friends of the Earth said "leading retailers have already taken action by removing these pesticides from their shelves and supply chains - the UK government must act too".

Chemical companies and pesticide manufacturers have been lobbying just as hard - they argue that the science is inconclusive, and that a ban would harm food production.

The UK government seems to agree with the industry lobby. It objected to the proposed ban in its current form. The chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, has said restrictions on the use of pesticides should not be introduced lightly, and the idea of a ban should be dropped.
The EU moratorium will not apply to crops non-attractive to bees, or to winter cereals.
It will prohibit the sale and use of seeds treated with neonicotinoid pesticides.
And there will be a ban on the sale of neonicotinoids to amateur growers.

There have been a number of studies showing that the chemicals, made by Bayer and Syngenta, do have negative impacts on bees.

One study suggested that neonicotinoids affected the abilities of hives to produce queen bees. More recent research indicated that the pesticides damaged their brains.
But the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) argues that these studies were mainly conducted in the laboratory and do not accurately reflect field conditions.

Source: bbc.news.uk 29.04.13

Follow discussions at the National Agricultural Youth Policy Dialogue in Mauritius

The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and the Faculty of Agriculture (University of Mauritius), are convening a National Agricultural Youth Policy Dialogue on the 12 April, 2013 at the University of Mauritius, Reduit. The objective of the dialogue is to deliberate on the issues of youth involvement in agricultural policy processesand especially those policies aimed at mainstreaming youth. A number of studies point to the fact that youth do not necessarily play a major role in the development of policies.

In November 2011, FANRPAN in collaboration with CTA commissioned 6 case studies in Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. These case studies focusing on current and emerging youth policies and initiatives with a special focus on links to agriculture in the respective countries were conducted by youth representatives from these countries. The final report of these case studies was presented at the FANRPAN 2012 High Level Food Security Policy Dialogue in Tanzania, 3-7 September 2012.

As a follow-up to this initiative, FANRPAN is now convening National Agricultural Youth Policy Dialogues in these 6 countries to share the findings of the case study for each country with National stakeholders. On 12th April 2013, the findings of Mauritius case study will be presented. The dialogue will culminate into a policy brief that the FANRPAN focal point will consolidate and communicate to the Minister of Agriculture, including other relevant departments and stakeholders. The dialogue is expected to bring together representatives of youth bodies, businesses, policy makers, and law makers alike from various industries.

The discussions at the National Agricultural Youth Policy Dialogue will be tweeted live as from 09:00 (GMT+4) on 12 April 2013 with Hashtag: #YouthAgDialogueMu. Follow the dialogue and spread the news!

L'attaque des cochenilles

​​​​​De nouveaux parasites ont fait leur apparition dans l’île : trois types de cochenilles originaires d’Amérique centrale et d’Afrique qui font des ravages depuis le début de l’année.

«Sa manier pe ale la, enn pie papay pou nepli ena dan Albion. » Rishi, jardinierdans ce village de lacôte Ouest, ne croit pas sibien dire. Comme d’autreshabitants de cette localité,depuis le début de l’annéeil assiste, impuissant, à uneinfestation virulente de cochenillesqui a causé la destructiondes papayers. Elless’attaquent aussi aux frangipaniers,communémentappelés gouleyti, aux arbresfruitiers et aux plants d’hibiscus,entre autres. L’infestationest d’autant plus favoriséepar les fortes pluies etles grosses températures quiprévalent actuellement.

Au 14 février, trois types de cochenilles ont été répertoriés sur le territoire par le service entomologique du ministère de l’Agro-industrie. Des échantillons ont été envoyés au CABI GlobalPlant Clinic, un laboratoire britannique, pour les authentifier. De ce que l’on sait, le premier type, le Phenacoccussolenopsis, est originaire d’Amérique centrale. Considéré comme une menace pour les plants de coton, il est présent à Maurice depuis janvier 2011.


Le second type, le Paracoccus marginatus, égalementd’Amérique Centrale, a étésignalé à La Réunion. Aussiappelé cochenille farineuse,ce tueur d’hibiscus et de papayersa traversé le Mexique,les Antilles et la Floride, auxEtats-Unis, avant de fairedes ravages à l’île soeur, àl’Etang-Salé, en février 2010.La troisième espèce, le Planococcus kenyae, nous vientd’Afrique. Découverte en1923 au Kenya, elle affectesurtout les plants de café. Elle attaque aussi les plantsornementaux et autres légumes.Toutefois, pour lesexperts du ministère del’Agro-industrie, c’est un« emerging pest » en Afriqueet sur lequel il existe peud’informations.

Un aspect « moisi » 

D’Albion, ces cochenilles ont commencé à gagner d’autres régions de Maurice, selon l’Agricultural Research and Extension Unit (AREU). En passant par Petite-Rivière, Pointe-aux-Sables et Pailles, elles auraient déjà atteint le Nord. Par manque d’information, ces cochenilles sont actuellement prises pour le white fly, soit le pou blanc. Ce qui résulte dans l’épandage d’insecticides qui n’ont toutefois pas l’effet escompté sur ces parasites. Or, pour endiguer l’épidémie, l’AREU recommande l’utilisation de l’Actara, du Confi dor et du Karate, comme c’est le cas à la Pépinière de Gros-Cailloux, situé près d’Albion.

« L’attaque a été plus virulente en début d’année. On a dû couper nos papayers. A terme, cela va poser un vrai problème car ces insectes vont attaquer toutes les plantes », explique le General Manager de la pépinière, ChristopherBlackburn.

La cochenille affecte une plante de manière suivante : elle suce la sève, laissant la plante exsangue. Ayant réduit la photosynthèse, elle favorise la propagation d’un virus qui donne à la plante un aspect noirâtre, comme si celle-ci était atteinte de moisissure. Cet effet est encore plus visible sur les frangipaniers, les premiers symptômes étant les feuilles atrophiées. La première chose à faire est alors d’enlever toutes les feuilles sur l’arbre et de les brûler.

D’autres espèces touchées

Dans le cas des hibiscus, les fleurs n’éclosent plus, les boutons ayant été dévorés par les cochenilles. Comme pour toute autre plante atteinte, il faut alors asperger le plant d’hibiscus avec une eau savonneuse ou de l’alcool, voire de l’huile, en guise de mesure préventive, l’ennemi naturel, la coccinelle, ne faisant visiblement pas le poids face à ces parasites venus d’ailleurs.

Une enquête a été ouverte pour déterminer comment ces parasites sont entrés sur le territoire. Tout porte cependant à croire qu’ils ont été introduits par l’importation de fruits, de légumes ou de plants ornementaux. La même explication est avancée concernant le TomatoYellow Leaf Curl Virus qui touche la pomme d’amour depuis décembre 2011, surtout dans le Nord. Comme son nom l’indique, ce virus provoque le jaunissement des feuilles du plant. Les feuilles sont rabougries et des traces noirâtres autour d’un halo blanc sont visibles sur les fruits.

Afin d’éviter que cette maladie ne perdure, l’AREU procédera au traitement des graines de pomme d’amour à l’eau chaude avant de les remettre aux planteurs. Le « piment cari », également touché par un parasite, est introuvable sur le marché. « Nepli pegagne », se désole Isoop Soobadar, président de la Market Traders Association.

A La Réunion, les études menées à l’Etang-Salé après la découverte du Paracoccusmarginatus ont démontré que cette cochenille s’attaque également à l’ananas, l’aubergine, l’avocatier, la patate douce, le poivron et au maïs.
​​​​
Source: lexpress.mu 03.04.13

THANK YOU!

WE THANK ALL MAISNET MEMBERS WHO DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN HELPING THOSE AFFECTED BY BLACK SATURDAY 30-03-13.

THANK YOU!

WE MOURN AND WE NEED TO HELP!

MAISNET PRESENTS ITS DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST THEIR KINS AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE BLACK FRIDAY 30-03-13 FLOODS.

MAISNET INVITE ALL ITS MEMBERS TO BE OF HELP TO FAMILIES IN DIFFICULTY.

THE PEOPLE AFFECTED NEED URGENTLY
(I) FOOD, 
(II) WATER AND 
(III) CLOTHING. 

WE HUMBLY REQUEST YOU TO LIAISE WITH YOUR VILLAGE COUNCILS, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND NGOs LIKE LA CROIX ROUGE TO SEND YOUR DONATIONS.

ACT! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!