Edible Insects Market (2026-2036)
The global Edible Insects Market was valued at USD 72.30 million in 2025. This market is expected to reach USD 1,656.16 million by 2036 from an estimated USD 90.38 million in 2026, registering a CAGR of 33.8% during the forecast period (2026-2036). In terms of volume, the market is projected to reach 468,695 tons by 2036, at a CAGR of 38.2% during the same period.
- Published
- Sep 2026
- Pages
- 240
- Format
- PDF + Excel
- Report ID
- MR-460
- Base year
- 2025
- 2025 · BASELINE
- $72.3M
- 2036
- $1.66B
- CAGR 2026–2036
- 33.8%
2025 baseline · 2026–2036 forecast at 33.8% CAGR · hover a bar for the value
Key highlights
The global Edible Insects Market is projected to reach USD 1, 656.16 million by 2036, while market volume is projected to reach 468,695 tons at a CAGR of 38.2%, with volume growing faster than value as average selling prices are expected to decline by approximately 2% to 3% a year in real terms.
Growth over the forecast period is expected to be led by utilization rather than construction. A substantial base of capacity built between 2017 and 2023 has operated well below design levels, with Aspire Food Group's London, Ontario facility, designed for 12,000 tons annually, operating at or below half capacity from May 2024 before entering receivership in May 2025.
The industry is emerging from the most severe contraction in its short commercial history. Ynsect, which raised more than USD 600 million, entered judicial liquidation in December 2025, and the Insect Institute records USD 777 million invested across five failed companies, with shuttered businesses accounting for almost half of the approximately USD 1.65 billion invested in the sector.
New capacity is shifting to lower-cost tropical geographies. Entobel operates a Vietnamese facility producing 10,000 tons of protein meal annually, Sentara Group produces in Johor, Malaysia, and Protix signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean waste collection company Reco under a joint-venture model.
By product type, insect meal is expected to account for the largest market share in 2026, whereas insect oil & fat is projected to witness the fastest growth through 2036. By insect type, black soldier flies are expected to dominate the market in 2026.
Europe is expected to account for the largest market share in 2026, with France the largest individual country market, while the Middle East & Africa is projected to register the fastest growth during the forecast period.
Report summary
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Forecast Period | 2026-2036 |
| Base Year | 2025 |
| Estimated Year | 2026 |
| Historical Data | 2024-2025 |
| CAGR (Value) | 33.8% |
| Format | PDF, Excel & Cloud Portal · 240 pages |
| CAGR (Volume) | 38.2% |
| Market Size (Value) in 2026 | USD 90.38 Million |
| Market Size (Value) in 2036 | USD 1,656.16 Million |
| Market Size (Volume) in 2036 | 468,695 Tons |
| Segments Covered | By Product Type: Insect Meal, Whole Insects, Insect Oil & Fat, Insect Powder & Flour. By Insect Type: Black Soldier Flies, Mealworms (Yellow Mealworm, Lesser Mealworm), Crickets (House Cricket, Banded Cricket, Other Crickets), Grasshoppers & Locusts, Silkworms, Other Edible Insects. By Application: Animal Nutrition (Aquaculture Feed, Pet Food, Poultry Feed, Swine Feed, Other Livestock & Specialty Animal Nutrition), Human Food & Beverages (Whole-Insect Foods, Protein Bars & Snacks, Protein Powders & Supplements, Bakery Products, Pasta & Noodles, Meat & Seafood Alternatives, Beverages, Other Food Applications). |
| Countries Covered | Europe: France, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Finland, U.K., Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Rest of Europe. Asia-Pacific: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific. North America: U.S., Canada. Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Rest of Latin America. Middle East & Africa: South Africa, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Rest of Middle East & Africa. |
| Key Companies | Protix, Innovafeed, Entobel Holding Pte. Ltd., Tebrio, Entosystem Inc., nextProtein, Sentara Group, HiProMine S.A., EnviroFlight, LLC (Darling Ingredients Inc.), Nasekomo AD, and Entomo Farms. |
Report overview
Segments covered: product type, insect type, application.
The growth of this market is mainly driven by demand for alternative proteins in aquaculture and pet food and the regulatory authorization of insect processed animal proteins in EU feed markets. However, the cost gap against fishmeal and soybean meal and substrate restrictions limiting access to low-cost feedstock restrain the growth of this market.
Furthermore, the positioning of insect ingredients as functional additives in aquafeed and premium pet food and the Southeast Asian production cost advantage are expected to offer growth opportunities for the stakeholders in this market. However, restoring investor confidence after sector insolvencies and demonstrating utilization at commercial scale remain major challenges impacting the growth of this market. Additionally, the shift from whole insects toward processed ingredients and consolidation around black soldier fly and mealworm production are prominent trends in this market.
The Edible Insects Market comprises insects reared or harvested for use as food for human consumption or as feed ingredients in animal nutrition, sold as whole insects in live, frozen, or dried form, food-grade powders and flours, feed-grade protein meal, and extracted oils and fats. Commercial production is concentrated in a small number of species, principally the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), together with the lesser mealworm, house and banded crickets, grasshoppers and locusts, and the silkworm (Bombyx mori). Market value is measured at producer selling price and is reported in both value and volume terms. The market excludes frass and other non-edible co-products such as chitin, chitosan, and bioplastics, insects reared for pest control or pollination, informal and household-level wild harvesting, and equipment and technology supplied to producers. Unlike most food and feed categories, the majority of output by value is destined for animal nutrition rather than for human consumption.
The modern edible insects industry is barely fifteen years old as a commercial activity and has developed in three phases. The first phase, from roughly 2009 to 2016, was characterized by pilot facilities and proof-of-concept work, with Protix founded in the Netherlands in 2009 and establishing its first pilot facility in 2015. The second phase, from roughly 2017 to 2023, was defined by capital rather than production, with investors committing approximately USD 1.65 billion to insect farming according to AgFunder data. Ynsect raised more than USD 600 million, Innovafeed completed a USD 250 million Series D with participation from ADM, Cargill, and the Qatar Investment Authority, bringing its total financing to USD 450 million, and Protix opened a 14,000 square meter facility in Bergen op Zoom in 2019 following a EUR 45 million investment.
Regulation has progressively enlarged the legally addressable market. Regulation (EU) 2017/893 permitted insect processed animal proteins in aquaculture feed, Regulation (EU) 2021/1372 extended authorization to poultry and pig feed across seven species, and Regulation (EU) 2021/1925 added the silkworm, bringing the total to eight. Human food applications operate under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, which requires product-by-product and applicant-by-applicant novel food authorization, and by the end of 2024 six insect novel food ingredients had been authorized and nine positive EFSA opinions published. In the United States, black soldier fly larvae hold the only completed AAFCO ingredient definition, and in Canada, the CFIA approved black soldier fly products for broilers in 2016, aquaculture in 2017, and all poultry in 2018.
The third phase began from 2024 when facilities financed at industrial scale failed to perform as projected. Aspire Food Group entered receivership in May 2025 and its assets were sold to Halali Group Holdings in September 2025, Ynsect entered judicial liquidation in December 2025, ENORM in Denmark was declared bankrupt, and Agronutris placed its holding company under safeguard proceedings in January 2025. The Tyson Foods and Protix facility planned for Nebraska was placed indefinitely on hold, and Innovafeed completed a reorganization in June 2026 around its Nesle site, supported by a EUR 51 million round from existing investors. The industry entering the forecast period is smaller and more concentrated but not uniformly weaker: Entosystem secured CAD 58 million to expand its Drummondville plant and build a second facility, Tebrio is constructing a phased 90,000 square meter plant in Salamanca, and nextProtein raised EUR 18 million in November 2025 and a further USD 11.2 million in August 2026. The principal source of additional output is therefore the recovery of throughput at existing facilities, supported by new capacity in Vietnam, Malaysia, and other tropical locations.
Market dynamics
10 factors across 5 forcesDemand for Alternative Proteins in Aquaculture and Pet Food
Demand for alternative proteins in aquaculture and pet food is the most important factor driving the Edible Insects Market. Fishmeal is expensive, supply-constrained by wild catch limits, and subject to sustainability scrutiny, which narrows the price gap insect meal must close and gives buyers a non-price reason to diversify. Feed accounts for a majority of aquaculture operating cost, so formulators actively seek alternatives that perform. Pet food has proved even more commercially receptive, because ingredient cost represents a small share of a premium retail product and insect protein carries a specific technical justification in hypoallergenic diets. Global aquaculture continues to expand while wild catch volumes that supply fishmeal are capped by quota and stock management, so the protein deficit that insect ingredients were conceived to address is real and widening. Producers that built commercial strategies around aquafeed manufacturers supplying certified salmon or shrimp value chains and premium pet food brands have secured offtake. As a result, aquaculture feed is expected to remain the largest animal nutrition application, while pet food is projected to be the fastest-growing.
Regulatory Authorization of Insect Proteins in EU Feed Markets
The regulatory authorization of insect processed animal proteins in EU feed markets has progressively enlarged the legally addressable market. Regulation (EU) 2017/893 permitted insect proteins in aquaculture feed, Regulation (EU) 2021/1372 extended authorization to poultry and pig feed across seven species, and Regulation (EU) 2021/1925 added the silkworm, bringing the total to eight. These authorizations removed the binding legal constraint on the largest feed markets and were a precondition for commercial development, without which the industry could not have raised capital at the scale it did. Outside the EU, the AAFCO definition for Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae covers finfish, poultry, and swine feed and adult dog and cat food in the United States, and Canada has authorized black soldier fly products for broilers, aquaculture, and all poultry. Because the principal feed markets are now open, further regulatory expansion is more likely to come through substrate rules and novel food authorizations, and the effect of this driver is concentrated in aquafeed and pet food.
Table of contents
11 chapters · 204 sections · 240 pages · click to expandSegmental analysis
| Segment | Largest share (2026) | Fastest growth (2026–2036) |
|---|---|---|
| By Product Type | Insect Meal | Insect Oil & Fat |
| By Insect Type | Black Soldier Flies | Silkworms |
| By Application | Animal Nutrition | Pet food |
By Product Type
- The Insect Meal segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market.
- The large share of this segment is mainly due to its position as the principal product sold into animal nutrition, the authorization of insect processed animal proteins in EU aquaculture feed under Regulation (EU) 2017/893 and in poultry and pig feed under Regulation (EU) 2021/1372, and the concentration of installed capacity among black soldier fly producers whose output is dried and defatted into meal.
- Insect meal also accounts for the majority of market tonnage.
- However, the Insect Oil & Fat segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
- The rapid growth of this segment is attributed to the rising share of output that is defatted rather than sold whole, the functional value of lauric acid in pet food and aquafeed, and the economics of processing, since defatting produces two saleable products from the same larvae.
By Insect Type
- The Black Soldier Flies segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market.
- The large share of this segment is mainly due to its authorization across every major feed market, the only completed AAFCO ingredient definition in the United States, CFIA approvals in Canada, and its ability to convert a wide range of permitted substrates efficiently.
- However, the Silkworms segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
- The rapid growth of this segment is attributed to its unusual cost structure, since silkworm pupae arise as a by-product of silk reeling and are available at low incremental cost wherever sericulture is practised, and to the addition of Bombyx mori to the species authorized under Regulation (EU) 2021/1925.
By Application
- The Animal Nutrition segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market.
- The large share of this segment is mainly due to the concentration of industrial capacity among producers whose output is sold as feed ingredients and to buyers in aquafeed and pet food who accept premium ingredient costs where functional benefits are demonstrated.
- The Animal Nutrition segment is also projected to register the higher CAGR during the forecast period, reflecting the concentration of new capacity on feed-grade output and the continued weakness of consumer demand in human food.
- Within animal nutrition, aquaculture feed is expected to account for the largest share, while pet food is projected to register the highest CAGR.
- Human Food & Beverages accounts for a meaningful share of value on a very small share of tonnage, since food-grade powder is priced an order of magnitude above feed-grade meal.
Geographic analysis
Europe
Largest shareIn 2026, Europe is expected to account for the largest share of the global Edible Insects Market. The region's dominance is supported by the concentration of commercially operating production capacity in France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland, the regulatory framework that authorized insect processed animal proteins in aquaculture feed from 2017 and in poultry and pig feed from 2021, and high-value aquafeed and premium pet food demand able to absorb ingredient costs above those of conventional proteins. France is the largest individual country market, while Spain and Poland are projected to be the fastest-growing markets in the region. Europe has also recorded the sector's most significant insolvencies, including Ynsect, ENORM, and Agronutris, while survivors such as Tebrio, Nasekomo, Protix, and Innovafeed are executing phased and more conservative strategies. Europe
Middle East & Africa
Fastest growthHowever, the Middle East & Africa is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period, from the lowest base of any region. The rapid growth of this region is attributed to low production costs in East and West Africa, aquaculture demand in Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt where feed cost dominates farm profitability, and Gulf demand for imported premium pet food. Research at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya has examined black soldier fly larvae reared on brewers' and agricultural by-products for aquafeed, and a pet food brand launched a complete range of insect-protein dry food for dogs and cats in the UAE in early 2026. Kenya is projected to be the fastest-growing country in the region, and development finance is expected to be the more likely route to new capacity during the forecast period. Middle East & Africa
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific is expected to be the second-largest regional market in 2026 and to narrow the gap with Europe over the forecast period. The region combines the only established tradition of insect consumption at scale, in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and parts of China and Korea, with production cost advantages that leading producers have identified as decisive. Entobel, headquartered in Singapore and backed by investors including the International Finance Corporation, Mekong Capital, and Vinh Hoan, operates a Vietnamese facility producing 10,000 tons of protein meal annually, and Sentara Group produces in Johor, Malaysia. Vietnam and China are the largest markets in the region, while India and Malaysia are projected to be among the fastest-growing markets. Asia-Pacific accounts for a larger share of tonnage than of value, reflecting its role as a lower-cost production base. Asia-Pacific
North America
North America is expected to account for a significant share of the market. North America is a high-value market in which demand is concentrated in pet food, the largest and most price-tolerant application in the region, followed by aquafeed. Black soldier fly larvae hold the only completed AAFCO ingredient definition, covering finfish, poultry, and swine feed and adult dog and cat food, with a separate definition for black soldier fly larvae oil in adult cat food. Production capacity has contracted with the receivership of Aspire Food Group, the suspension of Innovafeed's Decatur pilot, and the Tyson and Protix Nebraska project placed on hold, while EnviroFlight, owned by Darling Ingredients, continues to operate in Maysville, Kentucky, and Entosystem is expanding in Quebec. Canada is expected to be the larger market in 2026, with growth led by Entosystem's expansion. North America
Latin America
Latin America is expected to grow faster than the global average from a small base. The region's aquaculture sector is the principal demand base, with Chile among the world's largest salmon producers and Ecuador and Brazil hosting substantial shrimp and freshwater aquaculture industries. Insect consumption is traditional in parts of Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and the Andean region, and insect ingredients consumed in Chile and Ecuador are supplied substantially from Asian producers such as Sentara Group. Brazil is expected to account for the largest share of the regional market, while limited capital availability is likely to keep regional production at small and semi-industrial scale during the forecast period. Latin America
Competitive landscape
The competitive structure of the global Edible Insects Market has changed more between 2024 and 2026 than in the preceding decade. Market concentration is moderate and has risen as capacity has left the market, with no producer holding a dominant position. The most consequential competition is not between insect producers but between insect ingredients and the conventional proteins they seek to displace, so producers compete for a narrow pool of price-tolerant buyers in aquafeed and premium pet food. Six structural groups can be distinguished: integrated industrial producers, technology licensors and franchisors, corporate-owned operations, food-grade specialists, smallholder and semi-industrial producers, and companies that have exited or are restructuring.
Leading companies are prioritizing financing from existing and strategic investors, phased and franchised capacity development, relocation to lower-cost geographies, and selective partnerships focused on feedstock access, as illustrated by Innovafeed's EUR 51 million recapitalization in June 2026, Tebrio's six-phase Salamanca development, Nasekomo's asset-light franchise model, and Protix's memorandum of understanding with Reco in South Korea. Based on assessed operating capacity, portfolio breadth, geographic reach, and commercial continuity, Protix, Innovafeed, Entobel, and Entosystem occupied the leading positions in 2025. Disclosure across the sector remains minimal, with only two profiled producers reporting financial results publicly and none having demonstrated sustained profitability at scale.
The report provides a comprehensive competitive assessment of the leading companies operating in the global Edible Insects Market. The key players profiled in the report include Protix (Netherlands), Innovafeed (France), Entobel Holding Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), Tebrio (Spain), Entosystem Inc. (Canada), nextProtein (France/Tunisia), Sentara Group (Singapore/Malaysia), HiProMine S.A. (Poland), EnviroFlight, LLC, a subsidiary of Darling Ingredients Inc. (U.S.), Nasekomo AD (Bulgaria), and Entomo Farms (Canada).
- Protix
- Innovafeed
- Entobel Holding Pte. Ltd.
- Tebrio
- Entosystem Inc.
- Sentara Group
- HiProMine S.A.
- EnviroFlight, LLC (Darling Ingredients Inc.)
- Nasekomo AD
- Entomo Farms
Expert perspectives
The edible insects market has moved from a capital-led narrative to a utilization-led reality. The market is projected to grow from USD 90.38 million in 2026 to USD 1,656.16 million by 2036, but this growth will come primarily from recovering throughput at existing facilities and from new tropical capacity rather than from large new plants in Europe or North America.
Three structural changes are expected to shape the market through 2036. First, insect ingredients will compete as functional additives at low inclusion rates in aquafeed and premium pet food rather than as bulk protein substitutes, making trial evidence the key competitive asset. Second, production will shift toward Southeast Asia and other cost-advantaged geographies while premium demand remains in Europe and North America, turning insect ingredients into an internationally traded category. Third, technology ownership and production ownership will increasingly separate through franchising and joint ventures.
For companies planning entry or expansion, the most attractive positions over the forecast period are likely to be found in black soldier fly meal and oil for aquafeed and pet food, low-cost production in Southeast Asia and Africa, defatting and higher-value processing routes such as enzymatic hydrolysis, and verified sustainability data. The principal risks are the persistent cost gap against fishmeal and soybean meal, substrate restrictions, capital scarcity after sector insolvencies, and the slow development of human food demand in Western markets.
Customer perspectives
Insights gathered during primary interviews with insect producers, feed and pet food manufacturers, ingredient buyers, and industry experts highlight where priorities are shifting. The following perspectives reflect recurring themes raised across these discussions.
This reflects the shift toward functional positioning over protein substitution.
This points to pet food as the most commercially receptive application.
This highlights utilization, substrate cost, and investor confidence as the central challenges.
“We will not buy insect meal as a replacement for fishmeal at today's prices. We will buy it at low inclusion when the trial data shows a clear effect on fish performance.”
“Insect protein works for us because it gives a real hypoallergenic story and verified sustainability data. The ingredient cost is a small part of the final product price.”
“The industry does not need more design capacity. It needs plants that run close to capacity, cheaper feedstock, and investors who can see verified unit costs.”
Frequently asked questions
The global Edible Insects Market is estimated at USD 90.38 million in 2026.
Cite this report
Meticulous Research. (2026). Edible Insects Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast (2026-2036) (Report No. MR-460). Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. https://www.meticulousresearch.com/reports/edible-insects-market-5156