The global edible insects market is entering a high-growth commercialisation phase, transitioning from niche and regional consumption toward scalable, industrial protein production systems. The market is expected to grow from USD 1.35 billion in 2025 to USD 5.78 billion by 2032, driven by the convergence of environmental sustainability mandates, protein supply constraints, and rising feed and food cost volatility.
Edible insects, particularly crickets and mealworms, are gaining traction as high-efficiency protein sources with significantly lower land, water, and carbon footprints compared to conventional livestock. Adoption is accelerating across animal feed, aquaculture, pet food, and functional nutrition, where performance, digestibility, and sustainability credentials outweigh traditional consumer perception barriers.
Edible Insects Market Key Highlights
Asia Pacific Market Leader: North America dominated with 22.37% Edible Insects market share in 2025, supported by cultural acceptance, large-scale production, and strong domestic consumption.
Europe as Regulatory Growth Hub: Europe held 15.40% share, benefiting from EU Novel Food approvals and rapid adoption in animal feed, pet food, and functional nutrition.
Product Concentration: Crickets and mealworms account for over 58% of market revenue, reflecting superior protein efficiency and processing scalability.
Fastest-Growing Application: Animal feed and aquaculture represent the fastest-growing segment due to fishmeal price volatility and sustainability-driven feed regulations.
Regulatory Milestone: Ÿnsect’s AAFCO approval (2024) marks a key inflection point, enabling commercial entry into the U.S. animal nutrition market.
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Global Edible Insects Market Size, By Insect Type: Strategic Growth Outlook
Crickets lead the global edible insects market, accounting for approximately 29–30% of total market share in 2025, driven by their high protein concentration, neutral taste profile, and wide applicability across protein powders, snacks, baked goods, and functional nutrition products. Mealworms are witnessing strong adoption across animal feed and human nutrition applications, supported by their efficient farming cycles, high feed conversion efficiency, and scalability for industrial production. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) are gaining rapid traction, particularly in aquaculture and poultry feed, due to their cost efficiency, ability to convert organic waste into high-value protein, and strong sustainability credentials. Meanwhile, grasshoppers, ants, and other insect species continue to serve niche ethnic food markets, gourmet applications, and regions with traditional insect consumption, contributing to product diversification and cultural preservation within the market.
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Edible Insect Market Segmentation Covered
Segmentation Type | Segments |
By Insect Type | Crickets Mealworms Black Soldier Fly Larvae Grasshoppers Ants Others |
By Form | Whole Insects Insect Powder Insect Protein Extract |
By Application | Human Food Animal Feed Aquaculture Feed Pet Food |
By Distribution Channel | Online Offline Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Speciality Stores B2B Supply |
By End-use | Food & Beverage Companies Feed Manufacturers Nutraceutical Producers Individual Consumers |
Edible Insects Market Regional Analysis:
In 2025, North America leads the global edible insects market with 22.37% share in 2025, driven by accelerating regulatory approvals, rising adoption in animal feed and pet nutrition, and increasing investments in commercial-scale production. Europe follows with 15.40% market share in 2025, supported by EU Novel Food authorisations, strong sustainability-focused consumer behaviour, and expanding use of insect protein in feed and functional food applications.
Asia Pacific Edible Insects Market fastest-growing region with a CAGR of 26.63% form 2025 to 2032, supported by traditional consumption, government-backed protein security initiatives, and expanding commercial insect farms. Middle East & Africa and South America remain emerging markets backed by improving production capabilities and growing awareness of alternative protein sources.
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Edible Insects Market Competitive Landscape & Strategic Outlook
Key players operating in the Global Edible Insects Market include Ÿnsect, Protix, Aspire Food Group, Entomo Farms, AgriProtein, Innovafeed, and EnviroFlight.
Ÿnsect, a French insect-protein innovator headquartered in Évry, France, is a key player in the global edible insects market held 8–10% market share in 2025 within Europe’s insect protein supply ecosystem, where the region leads global output. It operates large vertical mealworm farming facilities supplying animal feed, aquaculture, and pet food while advancing sustainable, high-protein ingredients.
Company | Headquarters | Core Insect Type | Notes / Positioning |
Ynsect (France) | Évry, France | Mealworms; insect protein & fertilizers | Leading insect-based protein producer with global reach; focuses on sustainable protein for animal feed, pet food, and human nutrition. Operates vertical farms and holds extensive patents. (Wikipedia) |
Protix | Dongen, Netherlands | Black Soldier Fly | Multinational insect ingredient supplier; operates one of the world’s largest insect factories for feed and human applications. (Wikipedia) |
Aspire Food Group | USA (Ontario/Canada) | Crickets | Pioneer in automated cricket farming for food, feed, and pet nutrition; strong sustainability and tech focus. (Intellectual Market Insights Research) |
Innovafeed | France (Gouzeaucourt / Nesle) | Black Soldier Fly | Industrial-scale BSF protein producer converting food waste to proteins/oils for animal feed; robotics & circular model. (Wikipedia) |
Entomo Farms | Canada | Crickets | Early North American edible insect producer; focuses on cricket-based food and functional ingredient products. (Fortune Business Insights) |
Hexafly | Ireland | Black Soldier Fly | BSF larvae farming for animal nutrition and sustainable feed solutions (included in key industry lists). (Digital Journal) |
Nutrition Technologies | Singapore | Black Soldier Fly & insect ingredients | Asia-Pacific-based insect ingredient and waste-to-protein tech provider (noted in market coverage). (Digital Journal) |
AgriProtein | South Africa (UK origin) | Black Soldier Fly | Historic insect protein pioneer converting food waste to feed; parent went into administration, though technology footprint remains noted. (Wikipedia) |
Entobel | Belgium | Black Soldier Fly | Listed as key edible insect feed company serving European aquaculture & livestock markets. (TMR) |
EnviroFlight | United States (Kentucky) | 2009 | Black Soldier Fly |
Global Edible Insects Market Strategic Market Implications
Volume Growth Outpacing Value in Early Phases: Market expansion is currently driven by volume scaling in feed and pet food applications, while premium pricing remains concentrated in functional food and human nutrition segments.
Cost Competitiveness as the Key Adoption Barrier: Despite strong sustainability credentials, widespread adoption hinges on achieving cost parity with soy and fishmeal, making automation, energy efficiency, and scale economics central to competitive advantage.
Consolidation & Vertical Integration Trends
Leading players are moving toward fully integrated production models, controlling insect farming, processing, and ingredient standardization to ensure supply reliability and regulatory compliance.