The current state of the insect protein industry in Europe
The largest market in the West at the moment is for processed insect goods like mealworms, black soldier flies, and crickets for animal feeds, according to an article written by data analytics and economics expert Pattanapong Tiwasing and published by The Conversation. In 2022, the value of the global insect protein market was projected to be over US$540 million (or £432 million).
With France's Ynsect having established the largest insect farm in the world, Europe is predicted to produce a startling 1.2 million tons of insect protein by 2025, up from less than 2,000 metric tons in 2018.
According to Tiwasing, this is a result of modifications to EU regulations that allow farmers to feed insects to fish, poultry, and pig farms.
The UK's regulations for the use of insects in animal feeds are mostly based on those of the EU, but since Brexit, there have been certain deviations that may impede the market's expansion. However, the UK has not reflected more recent EU amendments. According to Tiwasing, silkworms were added to the EU list in 2021, although they are still not allowed in the UK.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) asserts that deregulating the UK market has the potential to be revolutionary. The WWF estimates that, with deregulation, the demand for insect protein by 2050 may be well over 500,000 tons, with half of it coming from within the nation.
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Many farmers, as highlighted in the article, find it objectionable to give live insects to their cattle. According to him, interviews have brought to light a few understudied topics, like the treatment of farmed insects and their impact on the animals that eat them.
