Towards more sustainable animal-feed alternatives: A survey on Spanish consumers' willingness to consume animal products fed with insects

Abstract

Global meat consumption will continue to increase in response to the growth in population and demand. Numerous studies have emphasized the nutritional, economic, and environmental benefits of using insect meal as an alternative protein source for animal feed. This article analyses Spanish consumers' willingness to consume pork, chicken, eggs, and fish, and explores the effect of sociodemographic and psychometric characteristics on their willingness to consume when the animals are fed with insect protein as a sustainable feed alternative. The study used an online Spanish consumers' panel belonging to Qualtrics© (market company services) and distributed it to 1260 individuals stratified by age, gender, and region. The data were analysed using the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests. Overall, the results demonstrated that most Spanish consumers expressed high uncertainty regarding their willingness to consume animal-fed insect meals. They also exhibited moderate levels of food neophobia and showed a highly ecocentric attitude. The non-parametric comparison analysis confirmed significant differences in willingness to consume sustainable animal products across sociodemographic characteristics: financial situation and gender were significant variables, with females more willing to consume sustainable animal products than males. For the psychometric traits, significant differences in willingness to consume sustainable animal products were confirmed across food neophobia, food neophilia, opinions on using insects in animal feed, and ecocentric attitude. The results also confirmed a significant difference in the effects of sociodemographic variables on psychometric attributes. Financial situation affects food neophilia, anthropocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. Age influences food neophobia, ecocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. Education also influences food neophilia, ecocentric attitudes, and opinions on the use of insects in animal feed. For gender, it is observed that females are more neophobic than males. This study has provided comprehensive initial insights into consumer willingness to consume insect-fed animal products in Spain, and the findings from this study will serve as a valuable resource for producers, policymakers, and governments in making informed decisions that promote more sustainable production practices.