People have eaten insects and hydroponic crops for hundreds of years. But farming them is new. Join this event to learn from insect farmers and development experts who are pushing the frontier of agriculture to create jobs, improve food security and save the planet.

Locust swarms are ravaging crops and pastureland, destroying food and vegetation and jeopardizing food security across Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of South Asia. Without action, the locust population could grow 400 times larger by June 2020 and spread to new areas, disrupting food supply, upending livelihoods and requiring substantial resources to address. The World Bank estimates that in Africa alone, more than 90 million hectares of cropland and pasture are at risk and damages and losses could amount to as much as US$9 billion in coming years.  Join us as we discuss this important issue with two World Bank staff: Melissa Williams, Senior Rural Development Specialist & Afrah Alawi Al-Ahmadi, Senior Social Protection Specialist. Ask your questions now!  Related Links:  Locust Crisis World Bank Response Blog: The Locust Plague: Fighting a Crisis within a Crisis Website: Food Security at the World Bank Group