Insects

It is widely recognised that Western food systems are unsustainable. A particular source of concern has been the Western overconsumption of animal protein, which is damaging planetary and public health. In this context, there is significant interest in ‘alternative protein’ sources, one of which is insects. Following a major report by the FAO in 2013, Western interest in the use of insects as a protein source blossomed. My doctoral research, conducted between 2014-2018, was the first European study to look at ‘real life’ consumption of the new wave of insect-based foods accompanying this surge of interest. I conducted fieldwork in the Netherlands, where insect-based convenience foods were commercially available in a national supermarket chain from 2015-2017. Based on interviews with 40 consumers of the foods, as well as food diaries, follow-up interviews and accompanied shopping, cooking, and eating, I explored how these foods were integrating into people’s diets, and the implications of this for insects as a European food more broadly. I also conducted research across the rest of the supply chain, looking at the network of actors which had shaped the foods that were available.