Back

Documentary Series

Maurizio Di Pietro

Photographer

Maurizio Di Pietro

The Insect Industry

The goal of the United Nations is to reach "Zero Hunger" by 2030. We already know that this will not happen, but we are not giving up on doing our best. Breeding and eating insects is a sustainable practice that is spreading more and more across our planet and can help us reach our goal.
Insects are rich in noble proteins and highly sustainable thanks to the minimal environmental impact, both in terms of polluting emissions and in terms of water and soil consumption. The key is to try to turn insects into a more acceptable product that people will easily learn to identify as crackers, cookies, or whatever they are more used to. Researchers are studying the most sustainable and economical ways to guarantee the spread of this product.
In Europe, there is already food made with insects on the market, but since 2015 edible insects and food that contains them are considered Novel Food, albeit commercialized is not yet legal.

Maurizio Di Pietro

Born in Torino in 1974 and after completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Maurizio collaborated with some NGOs documenting their work through photographic projects in Morocco, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, and Cisgiordania. Maurizio studied at the WSP Photography School as part of his training, where he is currently working as a lecturer. Between 2016 and 2017, he worked on projects related to mental disabilities, and for several years afterward he focused on climate change in Kenya - for this work, he has received some awards such as the Lucie, and several national and international publications such as Der Spiegel and the Corriere della Sera. Maurizio prefers to work on social issues and long-term projects and occasionally publishes in national and international magazines.