Socio-Economic Factors of the Edible Insects' Market Development

Abstract

Due to the increase in the population on the planet, there is a question of an acute shortage of food. A particularly global problem is the lack of protein – the primary building material for all body tissues, organs, and systems. Modern scientists consider algae, microorganisms, and insects to be alternative protein sources. Studies of insect protein show a complete amino acid composition with a fairly large proportion of essential amino acids. In addition to protein, the insect body contains fats, including in the form of polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as copper, zinc, calcium, and some other trace elements. In some countries (Asian and African), edible insects are taken for food; in some American and European countries, insects are bred in order to process them into pet and bird feed. However, many researchers do not doubt that only eating insects will be able to solve the problem of protein deficiency associated with overpopulation in the future. This article describes the advantages of insect biomass as a source of high nutritional value, which can be produced in large quantities without much harm to the environment. The social factors influencing the potential willingness of residents of different countries to consume insects for food are also described.