the edible insect market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

In many cultures around the world, insects are frequently eaten as part of meals. The main insects eaten are beetles, grasshoppers and worms. The nutritional value of insects is very similar to that of red meat, as they are an important source of high-quality protein. There are a total of 1,400 edible insect species in the world and they are mainly found in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Depending on the different dietary customs, insects are eaten alive, fried or pan-fried with various sweet and savory sauces. 

The global market was worth USD 972.33 million in 2020 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.72% between 2020 and 2026. This growth is largely driven by the fact that insects are, unlike meat, highly sustainable because they do not need large areas of land to be cultivated and can be fed with organic waste, thus solving the current problem of food waste.

In Italy, thanks to the legislative decree of 18 May 2021, Article 2135 of the Civil Code has been amended, making the cultivation of insects legal. As this change is very recent, the market for edible insects in Italy is not yet developed and flourishing. There are already some start-ups, such as Fucibo, whose aim is to revolutionize the food industry by introducing this food category, widely used abroad, into various food products. The strategy, unlike in other countries, is not to offer insects as a foodstuff but as a raw material for the creation of other foods such as pasta, crisps or breadsticks and bread substitutes. This is because Italians are very attached to their own culinary traditions and so the approach to this type of food must be considered and gradual.