Eat insects to fight world hunger, UN says  

United Nations (CNS) -- More than 1,900 species of insects in the world are edible, and eating insects is good for your health, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the United Nations (UN) said on Monday.

The report addressed eating insects as a way to fight world hunger. Wasps, beetles and other insects are currently "underutilized" as food for people and livestock, it said, and insect farming is "one of the many ways to address food and feed security."

Insects reproduce quickly, with less pollution to the environment, and they are rich in protein, fat and minerals, including calcium, iron and zinc, according to the report.

Eating insects is also helpful in combating obesity, it said.

The report suggested including insects in new recipes and adding them to restaurant menus.

It also noted that more than 2 billion people already have supplemented their diet with insects, mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

However, both BBC and Reuters said that "consumer disgust" remains a large obstacle in many Western countries.

FAO has said before that an estimated 870 million people worldwide are starving and chronically undernourished.