Around 2 billion people choose to eat insects on regular basis. More than 1,900 species are eaten across 130 countries.
With an estimated 10 billion mouths to feed by 2050, changes to global consumption habits are essential. The real value of insects may not be as individual delicacies but as a major source of protein.
Today the insect protein market its worth 1 billion dollars, while it is expected to rise to 8 billion dollars by 2030, its still a fraction of beef’s 330 million dollar market value.
Part of the challenge is scalable supply. In order to meet the volume requirements of the largest food companies in the world they require thousands of metric tons to launch in some markets with one product. The combined output of our entire industry doesn’t meet that. – Mohammad Ashour CEO Aspire Food Group
In the 1970s eating raw fish was unthinkable in many countries. Today, sushi is found in supermarket shelves across the world. There may yet be a change in global appetite for insects.