Edible insects, often referred to as “insect protein” or “mini-livestock,” sit at the intersection of nutrition, culture, and sustainability. While they are increasingly packaged as a modern innovation for food security and climate resilience, eating insects is not a new idea. It is an old, widely distributed human practice, which is embedded in food cultures across Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa for generations (van Huis et al., 2013). What is new is the scale, the science, the processing technology, and the commercialization pathways that are now emerging across the world.
This article takes a global-to-local view; it explains why insects matter nutritionally, how communities have long used them, why they are gaining renewed attention as an alternative protein source, what the economic, social, and environmental advantages look like, and what constraints must be addressed, especially for African and Nigerian contexts.
1) Global context: why the world is looking again at insects
1.1 A growing protein gap and the limits of conventional livestock
The global food system faces sustained pressure from population growth, diet transition, land constraints, and climate impacts. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighted edible insects as a relevant option for food and feed security. This is because they can deliver high-quality nutrients with comparatively lower environmental burdens when responsibly produced (van Huis et al., 2013).
This has pushed insects into two major markets:
- Human food: This involves the whole insects, powders, flours, protein bars, snacks, and bakery enrichment.
- Animal feed and aquaculture. This involves insect meal and oils as substitutes for fishmeal and soy, plus biofertilizer (frass) as a by-product.
1.2 It is not new: insects as food across cultures
Across the world, insects have long been part of local diets and seasonal food calendars (van Huis et al., 2013). Contemporary and widely documented examples include:
- Mexico: chapulines (grasshoppers) are sold in markets and used in snacks and tacos.
- Thailand and Southeast Asia: crickets and other insects are sold as street foods and farmed at small and medium scales.
- Japan: regional traditions of insect consumption (for example, wasp larvae in some local cuisines).
- Australia: Indigenous food traditions including edible larvae. This is often referenced in discussions of “bush tucker”.
- Central and Southern Africa: caterpillars and termites as seasonal delicacies and nutrient-dense foods (van Huis et al., 2013; Hlongwane et al., 2020).
The central point is cultural and historical: insects are not “future food” but they are “re-recognized food,” which is now being industrialized, standardized, and branded for modern supply chains.
2) Nutritional value: why insects are serious food, not novelty
2.1 High-quality protein and micronutrients
Multiple studies show that edible insects can provide meaningful protein, fats (including essential fatty acids in some species), and micronutrients. Though the composition varies by species, life stage, diet, and processing method (van Huis et al., 2013). Reviews of African edible insects confirm their relevance for protein and nutrition security, thanks to their wide species diversity and documented nutrient density (Hlongwane et al., 2020).
Beyond protein, many insects provide minerals such as iron and zinc, plus B vitamins; again, values differ across species and contexts (Hlongwane et al., 2020).
2.2 Nigeria’s growing evidence base on edible insects
Nigeria’s long-standing tradition of consuming edible insects is now being reinforced by a steadily expanding body of scientific research that documents species diversity, consumption patterns, and nutritional value. Rather than relying solely on anecdotal or cultural narratives, recent studies provide empirical evidence that situates insects firmly within Nigeria’s broader food and nutrition landscape.
Early national-level reviews have systematically catalogued the wide range of edible insects that are being consumed across different ecological zones in Nigeria. This emphasized their nutritional relevance, particularly as sources of protein and essential micronutrients (Alamu et al., 2013). This foundational work helped to move the discussion beyond cultural practice by framing edible insects as a legitimate component of food security and nutrition strategies.
More recent scholarship has built on this foundation. A contemporary synthesis on regenerative edible insects documents Nigeria-specific species, harvesting methods, and preparation practices, and links indigenous knowledge with emerging sustainability and circular economy discourses (Aigbedion-Atalor et al., 2024). This work is important because it demonstrates continuity between traditional consumption and modern sustainability narratives, rather than presenting insect consumption as an imported or novel concept.
At the consumer level, empirical studies from southwest Nigeria show that insect consumption remains prevalent, but attitudes toward it is shaped by socio-economic and demographic factors. Education level, degree of urbanization, and perceptions related to taste, hygiene, and processing all influence acceptance, particularly among younger and more urban populations (Babarinde, 2024). These findings highlight the importance of product form and presentation. This suggests that processed formats such as powders and flours may be more acceptable in certain markets than whole insects.
Complementing these socio-cultural analyses, laboratory-based studies continue to quantify the nutritional composition of commonly consumed insects in Nigeria. Such research reflects growing scientific attention to nutrient profiling, quality control, and food safety. All of which are essential for scaling edible insects beyond informal markets (AJRB, 2025).
Taken together, this expanding evidence base underscores a critical implication for policy and practice. Edible insects in Nigeria should not be framed as a novelty or emergency food, but as a credible and culturally grounded nutrition resource. With appropriate processing, safety standards, and market development, insect-based foods can realistically complement fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, and other conventional protein sources, particularly in contexts where affordability and supply stability remain persistent challenges.
3) Environmental advantages: why insects are framed as a sustainability option
3.1 Lower land and resource pressure, especially for feed markets
One major driver of insect protein growth is animal feed, because aquaculture, poultry, and pet food markets can absorb large volumes if supply is reliable and safe. Insect production can convert organic by-products into valuable protein and oils. This can potentially reduce the current pressure on fishmeal and soy supply chains (van Huis et al., 2013).
In Europe and North America, major projects explicitly link insect farming to circular economy models. This involves the use of food system by-products as inputs and producing both insect meal and fertilizer outputs (Reuters, 2022; Washington Post, 2025).
3.2 Waste-to-value, and why Black Soldier Fly (BSF) dominates
For industrial scale, Black Soldier Fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) are widely used because it can convert organic waste streams efficiently into protein and oils, with frass as a fertilizer by-product (Reuters, 2024). This matters in cities where organic waste management is costly and unsanitary. Insect farms can become part of the municipal and agro-industrial waste solutions, especially if feedstock controls and hygiene systems are robust.
3.3 Economic and social advantages: livelihoods, inclusion, and new value chains
Beyond their nutritional value, edible insects offer clear economic and social benefits that are particularly relevant for low- and middle-income countries. These benefits arise from the way insect production and trade fit naturally into local livelihoods, while it also creates opportunities for formal enterprise development and inclusive value chains.
3.3.1 Livelihoods and enterprise development
Historically, edible insects have contributed to household incomes through seasonal harvesting and local market sales in many parts of Africa, including Nigeria. Such activities, which are often undertaken by women and young people, provide short-term income during peak seasons and form part of diversified rural livelihood strategies (van Huis et al., 2013).
The current wave of commercialization is expanding this informal activity into more structured and scalable economic opportunities. Insect-based value chains now extend from smallholder and small-to-medium-scale farms to aggregation and processing activities such as drying, milling, and oil extraction. These upstream activities feed into downstream markets that include branded consumer food products, partnerships with aquaculture and poultry feed manufacturers, and the distribution of organic fertilizer derived from insect frass. Each segment of the chain creates distinct employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, ranging from production and logistics to quality control, marketing, and retail.
Across Africa, development and agribusiness narratives increasingly position edible insects within broader agendas of job creation, youth and women’s economic inclusion, and circular economy solutions. Institutions such as the International Livestock Research Institute emphasize insect farming as a pathway for recovering organic waste, reducing dependence on imported feed ingredients, and generating local employment in emerging bio-based industries (ILRI, 2025).
3.3.2 Food affordability and access to protein
From a food security perspective, edible insects also contribute to improved access to affordable protein. In many countries, prices of fish, beef, and poultry are highly sensitive to feed costs, fuel prices, disease outbreaks, and supply chain disruptions. Insects can serve as a complementary protein source in such contexts, particularly where cultural acceptance already exists or where insect ingredients are incorporated into familiar foods.
The use of insect flour or protein powder blended into staples, snacks, or baked products is especially relevant for urban markets, where social stigma or perceptions of insects as “traditional” or “rural” foods may reduce acceptance of whole insects. This processed inclusion approach allows consumers to benefit nutritionally without confronting strong cultural or aesthetic barriers. As a result, insect-based foods can enhance dietary diversity and protein access while fitting into modern consumption patterns.
Taken together, these economic and social dimensions illustrate that edible insects are not only a nutritional intervention but also a practical development option which is capable of supporting livelihoods, fostering inclusive enterprise, and strengthening local food systems.
4.0 Global companies promoting insect protein: what they do and how they promote it
The rapid growth of the insect protein sector has been driven largely by a small number of pioneering companies that have demonstrated how insects can be produced, processed, and integrated into mainstream food, feed, and agricultural systems. These firms have played a central role not only in scaling production but also in shaping how insect protein is framed and marketed to investors, regulators, and end users.
4.1 Industrial insect ingredient leaders
Several Europe- and North America–based companies have emerged as reference points for large-scale insect production, particularly for animal feed and agricultural inputs. A leading example is Protix in the Netherlands, which specializes in insect-based ingredients that are derived primarily from Black Soldier Fly larvae. Protix positions its products for use in animal feed and farming inputs; it emphasizes resource efficiency, traceability, and low-footprint supply chains. The company’s promotion strategy is firmly business-to-business, which is built around long-term supply contracts, partnerships with feed manufacturers, and technology collaborations.
In France, InnovaFeed has become one of the most visible players in the global insect protein landscape. The company operates large-scale Black Soldier Fly facilities, which are designed around circular economy principles. It is often co-located with agro-industrial operations to secure steady organic input streams and energy efficiency. InnovaFeed has been widely cited as an example of how insect protein and insect-derived fertilizers can be scaled to industrial levels (Reuters, 2022; Washington Post, 2025). Its promotion approach centers on strategic partnerships with major agribusinesses and pet food companies, alongside a strong narrative that links insect farming to climate action, waste reduction, and sustainable supply chains (Reuters, 2022).
Entocycle, based in the United Kingdom, adopts a similar sustainability-driven positioning but places particular emphasis on urban and peri-urban insect farming. The company promotes insect production as a low-carbon alternative for animal feed, using food waste streams as inputs and modular production systems that can be integrated into existing waste management and industrial infrastructures (Reuters, 2024). Public communication around environmental benefits and technology scalability has been central to its market positioning.
In North America, Aspire Food Group has focused largely on crickets and cricket-derived ingredients for both human food and animal feed applications. The company’s public positioning highlights the scalability of insect farming technology and the versatility of cricket protein across multiple markets, including nutrition, pet food, and feed.
Ÿnsect, also based in France, has historically concentrated on mealworm production for food, feed, and fertilizer markets, and it supports this with strong sustainability messaging and significant early investment. The company helped to popularize the idea of insects as a high-tech agribusiness rather than a niche or artisanal activity.
It is important, however, to adopt a realistic perspective. Despite strong narratives around sustainability and innovation, parts of the European insect protein ecosystem have faced financial and operational challenges in recent years. Industry analyses and media reporting point to high capital costs, energy demands, and the difficulty of achieving profitable scale as key constraints for some firms (DigitalFoodLab, 2025). These experiences underscore that while insect protein holds promise, successful commercialization depends on robust unit economics, reliable markets, and careful alignment between technology, demand, and regulatory environments.
4.2 Africa’s insect nutrition landscape: tradition plus industrial acceleration
4.2.1 African enterprises and promotion pathways
In Africa, insect protein initiatives are more explicitly framed around development outcomes alongside commercial objectives. Companies and projects often emphasize job creation, youth and women’s inclusion, waste recovery, and local substitution for imported feed ingredients.
In Kenya, Sanergy has integrated insect farming into a broader circular economy model that links sanitation, organic waste recovery, and the production of insect-based inputs for animal feed. Its promotion strategy combines impact narratives with partnerships involving development agencies, municipalities, and agribusiness actors (IDRC, 2022). Similarly, InsectiPro in Kenya positions Black Soldier Fly farming as a solution to organic waste management while producing protein, oil, and organic fertilizer for livestock and aquaculture, promoting its model through farmer training, demonstrations, and feed industry linkages.
In South Africa, ProtiCycle promotes insect farming as a waste-to-value technology, supplying protein and fat for feed markets and fertilizer for agriculture. Its communication emphasizes regulatory compliance, product consistency, and alignment with commercial feed standards, reflecting a more market-oriented promotion approach.
Across the continent, institutions such as the International Livestock Research Institute reinforce these efforts by framing insect protein as part of climate-smart livestock systems and circular bioeconomies, thereby lending scientific and policy credibility to private-sector initiatives.
4.2.2 Nigerian companies and emerging local champions
In Nigeria, the promotion of insect protein is increasingly tied to the pressing challenges of high feed costs, waste management, and youth unemployment. A notable example is MagProtein, which focuses on Black Soldier Fly–based protein for aquaculture feed and produces frass as an organic fertilizer. The company promotes its products by engaging directly with fish farmers, demonstrating feed performance, and positioning insect protein as a cost-stabilizing alternative to imported fishmeal (Afridigest, 2023).
Another important initiative is Insects4Feed Nigeria, launched as a multi-stakeholder cluster to accelerate Black Soldier Fly farming and insect-based feed production. Rather than operating solely as a single firm, Insects4Feed promotes insect protein through incubation, training, pilot projects, and partnerships with feed producers and agribusinesses. Its approach emphasizes capacity building, local enterprise development, and policy engagement to create an enabling environment for the sector (RVO, 2025).
These Nigerian examples illustrate a promotion model that is more pragmatic and performance-driven than consumer-facing. Demonstration farms, farmer testimonials, feed trials, and cost comparisons are central tools for market creation. This reflects the fact that the strongest immediate demand lies in aquaculture and poultry feed rather than direct human consumption.
Overall, the combined experiences of global, African, and Nigerian companies show that the promotion of insect protein succeeds when it aligns technology with clear market demand, credible sustainability claims, and locally relevant value propositions. While global leaders provide lessons on scale and industrial partnerships, African and Nigerian actors demonstrate how insect protein can be adapted to local development priorities, resource constraints, and food system realities.
4.3 Consumer acceptance, processing, and the realities of scale
While edible insects are culturally familiar in many parts of Nigeria, consumer acceptance in contemporary markets remains uneven. Empirical studies from southwest Nigeria show that decisions to consume insect-based foods are strongly influenced by taste preferences, familiarity, and, critically, the form in which insects are presented. Whole insects tend to face resistance among some educated and urban consumers, who may associate them with traditional or rural diets, or express concerns related to aesthetics and hygiene (Babarinde, 2024).
These findings help to explain why processing plays a pivotal role in market expansion. Insect powders and flours can be incorporated into familiar foods such as snacks, baked products, soups, or complementary foods that often serve as effective “bridge products” for new consumer segments. By embedding insect protein invisibly within commonly consumed items, producers can reduce psychological and cultural barriers while still delivering nutritional benefits. This approach aligns with broader global trends, where processed formats have consistently outperformed whole-insect products in urban and middle-class markets.
5.0 Constraints and risks: issues that must be addressed directly
Despite its promise, the insect protein sector faces a range of constraints and risks that must be managed transparently if it is to achieve sustainable growth. These challenges cut across food safety, regulation, culture, and finance, and are as relevant to Nigeria as they are globally.
5.1 Food safety, allergens, and regulatory complexity
As insect consumption moves from informal markets to formal supply chains, food safety governance becomes increasingly important. Regulatory authorities in several regions now classify edible insects as “novel foods,” which requires a structured risk assessment before market authorization. In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that dried yellow mealworm is safe for human consumption under specified conditions, while also highlighting potential allergen risks, particularly for individuals allergic to crustaceans or dust mites (EFSA NDA Panel, 2021). Following this assessment, the European Commission formally authorized dried Tenebrio molitor larva as a novel food, with defined product specifications and permitted uses (European Commission, 2021).
For Nigeria, these developments offer both guidance and a cautionary signal. Scaling insect-based foods for human consumption will require clear national standards that cover production substrates, hygiene, processing, labeling, and allergen communication. Without such frameworks, consumer trust and market confidence will remain limited.
5.1 Feedstock contamination and quality consistency
One of the economic advantages of insect farming lies in its ability to convert organic waste streams into valuable protein and fertilizer. However, this same feature introduces risks if feedstocks are poorly controlled. Chemical contaminants, pathogens, and traceability failures can undermine both food safety and feed quality. Industrial insect producers address these concerns through the use of controlled substrates, strict biosecurity measures, and routine batch testing to ensure consistency and safety (Reuters, 2024). These practices underscore the importance of investment in quality management systems as insect production scales.
5.2 Cultural stigma and “poverty food” narratives
Even in societies with a long history of insect consumption, cultural perceptions can evolve in ways that disadvantage traditional foods. In Nigeria, some consumers associate insect eating with rural poverty or periods of hardship, which can reduce its appeal in aspirational, urban contexts (Babarinde, 2024). Overcoming this stigma requires deliberate branding, modern packaging, and public education that reframes insect-based products as nutritious, safe, and contemporary rather than as symbols of deprivation. Product format, marketing language, and points of sale all become tools of market creation rather than peripheral concerns.
5.3 Financing and scale-up risk
Finally, the insect protein sector illustrates the reality that technical feasibility does not automatically translate into commercial success. While the sector has attracted significant investment and attention, recent commentary on European insect protein firms highlights financial and operational challenges, particularly where capital expenditure is high, and profitability depends on securing large, stable offtake agreements (Washington Post, 2025; DigitalFoodLab, 2025). These experiences are instructive for emerging markets. Sustainable scale-up requires careful alignment between production capacity, energy use, market demand, and financing structures, rather than rapid expansion driven solely by optimistic projections.
Taken together, these constraints do not negate the potential of edible insects, but they do clarify the conditions under which that potential can be realized. Addressing safety, perception, regulation, and economic viability in an integrated manner is essential if insect protein is to move from niche innovation to a stable component of modern food systems.
6.0 Recommendations: making insect nutrition and insect protein work at scale
For edible insects to move from promising alternative to a stable component of food and feed systems, deliberate and coordinated action is required. Experience from both global markets and emerging African initiatives suggests that success depends less on novelty and more on governance, market alignment, and practical investment choices. The following recommendations outline what would strengthen the sector in Nigeria, while also highlighting priorities for global and African stakeholders.
6.1 Recommendations for Nigeria: policy, industry, and markets
At the policy level, the most urgent requirement is the development of clear national standards for edible insects and insect-based feeds. These standards should define acceptable production substrates, microbial and chemical safety limits, heavy metal thresholds, labeling requirements, and allergen warnings, drawing on emerging international practices and regulatory precedents (EFSA NDA Panel, 2021; European Commission, 2021). A well-defined regulatory framework would reduce uncertainty for investors, protect consumers, and create a credible pathway for formal market growth.
From an industry and market perspective, Nigeria would benefit from a phased scaling strategy that prioritizes animal feed before human food markets. Aquaculture and poultry feed represent immediate, high-volume opportunities where purchasing decisions are driven by performance, price stability, and supply reliability rather than cultural preference (RVO, 2025). Establishing insect protein as a competitive feed ingredient can generate early revenue, build technical capacity, and create confidence in production systems before expanding into more regulated human food markets.
Investment in processing and quality infrastructure is equally critical. Facilities for drying, milling, oil extraction, packaging, and laboratory testing are where food safety and product consistency are assured, and where most value addition occurs. Without these capabilities, insect production remains vulnerable to quality variability and limited market access.
Product format also matters. In urban Nigerian markets, powders and flours blended into familiar foods such as biscuits, baked products, soups, and complementary foods are likely to gain acceptance more quickly than whole insects. This strategy aligns with global commercialization experience and helps to manage cultural stigma while delivering nutritional benefits (van Huis et al., 2013).
Market development should be anchored in practical demonstration rather than abstract sustainability claims. Partnerships with fish and poultry clusters that allow farmers to test insect-based feeds under real conditions can provide compelling evidence of performance, price competitiveness, and supply reliability. Such proof points are often more persuasive than environmental messaging alone.
Finally, scaling the sector will require sustained investment in incubation, skills transfer, and entrepreneurship support. Expanding models that combine training, incubation, and industry linkage can help to build a pipeline of competent insect producers and processors, with particular benefits for youth and women entrepreneurs.
6.2 Recommendations for global and African stakeholders
At the international and regional levels, credibility will depend on transparency. Developing clear and comparable lifecycle accounting for insect production, covering energy use, water use, and waste inputs, is essential to substantiate sustainability claims and avoid reputational risk.
Consumer risk communication should also be strengthened. Allergen information and labeling must be treated as central components of product design and regulation, rather than as secondary compliance issues addressed only after market entry.
To reduce financial risk, scaling efforts should be anchored in secure offtake arrangements. Long-term contracts with aquafeed producers, poultry integrators, and pet food companies have proven effective in stabilizing revenues and justifying capital investment in major insect protein projects (Reuters, 2022). Such arrangements are particularly important in capital-intensive production models.
7. Conclusion: Insects as a practical alternative protein, rooted in tradition
Edible insects merit serious consideration as an alternative and complementary protein source because they combine three critical strengths. First, they offer substantial nutritional potential by providing protein and important micronutrients, depending on species and processing methods (van Huis et al., 2013; Hlongwane et al., 2020). Second, they create economic opportunity through the development of new value chains that span feed, food, and organic fertilizer markets, with particular relevance for inclusive enterprise and local production (RVO, 2025; Reuters, 2024). Third, they align with environmental objectives by enabling circular waste-to-value systems and reducing pressure on conventional feed ingredients such as fishmeal and soy (Reuters, 2022; Washington Post, 2025).
For Africa and Nigeria, the strategic advantage lies in the combination of deep cultural familiarity with edible insects and urgent contemporary needs in animal feed markets and waste management. Achieving sustainable scale will not depend on hype or novelty. It will depend on clear standards, credible safety systems, reliable supply chains, and market-smart product formats that bridge tradition and modern consumption.
Dr. Aremu Fakunle John is a Senior Agricultural Economist, Management consultant, and Public Policy Expert whose work spans climate-smart agriculture, nutrition, sustainable business, and development economics. He strengthens policymakers and businesses on technology adoption, systems thinking, and resilience building across food and health sectors, and advises on AI-enabled early-warning, decision support, and environmental surveillance systems. He can be reached via WhatsApp +2348063284833, fakunle2014@gmail.com
