Insect production as a novel alternative to livestock farming: Exploring interest and willingness to adopt among German farmers

Abstract

Given the challenges confronting food and feed production and the need for more sustainable agri-food systems, insect production is gaining attention as an economically feasible and environmentally beneficial alternative to livestock farming. Surprisingly, despite some examination of consumer perceptions and acceptance, little attention is given to the farmers who would be tasked with making successful use of this sustainability-oriented innovation. This research makes three contributions to understanding farmer adoption of insect production, by (1) reflecting on farmer interest and willingness to adopt in a developed-country context; (2) employing a unique sample of 517 German farmers; (3) and utilizing a novel PLS-SEM model based on the Edinburgh Study of Decision-making on Farms. The latter is specifically relevant for assessing the importance of (and interrelationships between) farmer-specific (e.g., personality) and farm-related determinants, which is the first time this has been done for this topic. Our findings determine that the willingness of livestock farmers to adopt insect production is determined by a combination of personal, psychological, and farm structural variables. In particular, personality traits of openness and extraversion and the reliance on off-farm work are established as key drivers for willingness to adopt, whereas neuroticism, age, and the efficient use of available resources were main obstacles. Our study thus provides key insights for farmers, insect-related companies, and regulators to gain a better understanding of farmer intentions and the potential conditions under which the shift from livestock farming to insect cultivation might be supported.