Edible Insect Market Size Is Growing Rapidly

The global edible insect market is predicted to grow to five hundred and twenty two million dollars by 2023. Apparently, more and more people are responding enthusiastically to the new trend of eating insects.

Insects offer humans and animals and alternate source of protein during a time when livestock related environmental damage is becoming more and more apparent and serious. It is for this reason that experts believe that insect protein will one day become more popular than protein from livestock. The international sales spike in insect related foodstuffs will likely only increase since insect based protein is available at cheaper prices, and is more accessible than livestock protein.

Among all edible insects sold globally it was beetles that were most in demand. Beetle sales topped 9.7 million US dollars in 2015 alone. Humans are eating most of these bugs in the form of powder or flour, so the western world may still not be quite ready to drink that Cambodian tarantula beverage.

Do you think that the increase in insect related food sales is mostly due to increased consumption in parts of the world that already consume insects as a cultural norm, or is the rise in market sales a sign that the western world is embracing insect based food?