New research by the Insect Institute has shown that, despite a long history of entomophagy (eating insects) in some regions, such as parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where insects have been consumed for thousands of years, the idea of simply replacing vertebrate flesh by insect flesh to save the planet will face a considerable opposition due to the “yuck factor”.
Dustin Crummett, the co-author of the study and executive director of the Insect Institute, said to the Guardian, “It turns out that farmed insects consistently score the lowest of any of the meat substitutes and the actual market for them is incredibly small, even in places that have a tradition of eating insects.”
The paper, published in NPJ Sustainable Agriculture in June 2025, is titled “Beyond the buzz: insect-based foods are unlikely to significantly reduce meat consumption.” It concludes, “Given these challenges, it is difficult to see how insect-based foods could significantly replace traditional meat options”
Western societies have generally rejected the idea of eating insects, often associating it with emergency food or low prestige, and regarding it as a “barbarian” tradition (although, in a typically speciesist way, such aversion does not cover other arthropods, such as crustaceans). In these cultures, insects are commonly linked to filth, danger, or the risk of contamination, and the thought of eating them triggers strong feelings of disgust and distaste. This aversion is not only rooted in taste but also in the visual, tactile, olfactory, and auditory properties of insects, and their sensory representation on dishes. Vegans also reject eating insects as they are animals, and vegans don’t eat any animal products.
Public polling in the US and Europe has found that while as many as 91% of respondents would be willing to try plant-based “alternative meats”, only about 20% would consider eating insects.
Further studies have confirmed that in Belgium and Gabon, the most common reasons for refusing to eat insects were “It is not in my culture” and “Eating insects is disgusting,” with these sentiments echoed by a large proportion of respondents in both countries. Even when people are familiar with the concept of eating insects, acceptance remains low, and food neophobia — fear of new or unfamiliar foods — plays a significant role in this rejection.
