the edible insect market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Edible insects refer to the all insects intended for human consumption . This human consumption of insects is called the entomophagy

While edible insects are therefore by definition related to human food, this study also addresses, to a lesser extent, the market for insects for animal feed to highlight the distinctions between the two sectors

There are 4 main steps in the edible insect and insect product chain livestock, primary processing (production of ingredients), secondary processing (production of food products) and distribution . Market participants operate at one or more of these stages

However, the two main barriers to market development are, on the one hand, the social acceptance insects as food and, on the other hand, regulatory barriers, the marketing of edible insects being officially illegal in France .

As the market is in its infancy and regulatory barriers are still present, there are few players in the French sector. At the French level, the market is still marginal, but changes in legislation should mark the acceleration of its development. In addition, insect processing appears to be a solution allowing the gradual acceptance of insects as food. The most developed company is Micronutris The company was founded in 2011 and has distinguished itself as a pioneer in this market. In addition, France stands out in the general insect breeding sector, notably with Ÿinsect and InovaFeed, whose products are intended for animal nutrition

The world marketplace of edible insects was estimated at 500 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 19.7% between 2019 and 2025 . The FAO has identified 1,900 species of edible insects in the world and insects would be part of the traditional meals of at least 2 billion people s, mainly in Asia Pacific, South America and Africa