Edible insect ambassador Chef Joseph Yoon to lecture at Augustana

Chef Joseph Yoon, a world-renowned chef and champion for the potential of insect agriculture, will present the Roys Lecture at Augustana College on Monday, May 13. Attendees will have an opportunity to eat food prepared by Yoon featuring insect ingredients.

The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be held in the Gävle Rooms of The Gerber Center for Student Life, 3435 9 1/2 Ave., Rock Island. Event registration is required for all attendees. Public tickets are $5, admission for Augustana students and staff is free. Registration and tickets are available at Chef Joseph Yoon, Edible Insect Ambassador.

The event is made possible by the Lawrence H. Roys Endowment, which honors the memory of Lawrence Roys, an engineer, businessman and nationally acclaimed natural scientist. The Roys Endowment funds lectures by visiting scholars in the field of natural science.

In addition to the Roys Lecture, Yoon will engage with Augustana students in class lectures and at Celebration of Learning on May 8. At 6 p.m. on May 11, Yoon will partner with NEST Café for a tasting event in Rock Island. Tickets, $40 each, are required and available at NEST Café.

According to Yoon, edible insects and insect agriculture can enhance food security, create innovative food systems with alternative proteins, provide livelihoods in rural and urban areas, and support a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem.

Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Tierney Brosius said hosting Yoon is an exciting opportunity for campus, and she’s excited for him to share his passion with Augustana.

”Insects are a huge part of our daily lives, and they are deeply connected to finding innovative ways to feed the world,” she said. “Chef Yoon’s dedication to pursuing one's passion to effect change is an inspiring message for our students. His work demonstrates how learning about something new can destigmatize and reduce fear towards the unfamiliar.”

Yoon founded Brooklyn Bugs to promote “entomophagy,” the eating of insects. He tours globally to share the potential of eating insects and the “burgeoning innovation” in insect agriculture to impact the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Brooklyn Bugs seeks to address issues of food insecurity, climate change, health and nutrition, environmentalism and sustainability.

Yoon is a pioneering member of The Explorers Club and chef advocate for the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development. He also serves as the culinary director for the Insects to Feed the World Conference.