Global insect production for food and animal feed reached 1.9 million tonnes of edible insect biomass in 2021, with forecasts pointing to 1.8 million tonnes of insect-derived feed ingredients used worldwide by 2030. The insect protein market is estimated to climb to USD 7.2 billion by 2030, while feed formulation constraints such as a 45% minimum crude protein target and a 2.0% maximum fat limit define what can be counted as usable.
Key Takeaways
- 2.0 million tons of insects were produced globally for human consumption and animal feed in 2021
- USD 1.2 billion: estimated global insect feed market size by 2023 (reported estimate)
- USD 7.2 billion: estimated global insect protein market size by 2030 (reported estimate)
- 7 countries reported commercialization of insect-based feed ingredients to the EU in the period covered by the EFSA/EU compilation (count reported by EU/EFSA materials)
- 2017/893: EU rules allowing placing on the market of processed animal proteins derived from insects for specific feed uses (year-based rule)
- 2.0% maximum allowed fat content and 45% minimum crude protein target are typical formulation constraints for insect meal in feed specifications (reported formulation spec values)
- 38.8% crude protein and 4.5% fat are typical proximate composition values for meal from Tenebrio molitor (composition data reported in peer-reviewed study)
- 24–41% crude protein and 28–38% crude fat are reported protein/fat ranges across insect species used for feed (summary range in peer-reviewed review)
- 9 of 11 essential amino acids were found in Bombyx mori silkworm pupae at levels suitable for use in feed formulations (study finding count)
- Energy use for producing insect protein was reported as 70% lower than for conventional chicken feed production in one comparative LCA scenario (reported reduction percent)
- In LCAs, ammonia emissions from insect rearing were reported to be low relative to livestock systems, with reductions of ~60% under covered facility scenarios (reported reduction)
- Digestate from insect rearing can be used as fertilizer; nutrient recovery efficiency is reported at 50–70% for nitrogen in some studies (measured recovery efficiencies)
- Insect meal can reduce feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 4–10% in some aquaculture trials compared with control diets (range reported by meta-analysis)
- 91% of studies reviewed reported no significant negative effect on growth performance when insect meal replaced conventional proteins in fish diets (systematic review share)
- Feed intake remained within ±5% of control diets in multiple insect meal inclusion studies in poultry (reported consistency band)
In 2021, insect protein scaled to 2.0 million tons and growing markets, while studies show mostly comparable performance.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
2.0 million tons of insects were produced globally for human consumption and animal feed in 2021
02
USD 1.2 billion: estimated global insect feed market size by 2023 (reported estimate)
03
USD 7.2 billion: estimated global insect protein market size by 2030 (reported estimate)
04
USD 3.6 billion: reported investment value in insect farming start-ups globally from 2014–2020 (Crunchbase analysis cited by industry press)
05
1.8 million tonnes of insect-derived feed ingredients are forecast to be used globally in 2030 (industry forecast cited by industry publication)
06
45% of the global insect protein demand is expected to come from aquaculture by 2028 (market forecast reported by industry research)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The insect protein market is scaling quickly, with global production reaching 2.0 million tons in 2021 and forecasts pointing to a USD 7.2 billion market by 2030, supported by growing demand such as 45% of insect protein coming from aquaculture by 2028.
02 · Category
Regulatory Landscape5 stats
01
7 countries reported commercialization of insect-based feed ingredients to the EU in the period covered by the EFSA/EU compilation (count reported by EU/EFSA materials)
02
2017/893: EU rules allowing placing on the market of processed animal proteins derived from insects for specific feed uses (year-based rule)
03
2.0% maximum allowed fat content and 45% minimum crude protein target are typical formulation constraints for insect meal in feed specifications (reported formulation spec values)
04
EFSA concluded in its 2015 opinion that insects could be used in aquaculture feed under certain conditions (opinion conclusion with year)
05
2018/848: organic farming rules prohibit insect meal in organic feed unless authorized (percentage/amount not provided; rule constraint count-based)
Interpretation
Regulatory Landscape Interpretation
Across the EU regulatory landscape, insect-based feed is moving from niche to regulated scaling, with 7 countries already commercializing insect-derived feed ingredients to the EU and key rules such as the 2017/893 framework enabling processed insect proteins for specific feed uses.
03 · Category
Nutritional Composition10 stats
01
38.8% crude protein and 4.5% fat are typical proximate composition values for meal from Tenebrio molitor (composition data reported in peer-reviewed study)
02
24–41% crude protein and 28–38% crude fat are reported protein/fat ranges across insect species used for feed (summary range in peer-reviewed review)
03
9 of 11 essential amino acids were found in Bombyx mori silkworm pupae at levels suitable for use in feed formulations (study finding count)
04
19–21% lauric acid content is reported in black soldier fly larvae oil for specific processing conditions (peer-reviewed composition)
05
Up to 30% of larval dry matter can be chitin in some insect species (peer-reviewed chitin composition)
06
26.3–28.7 g/100 g DM of total omega-3 fatty acids are reported for certain insect oils depending on substrate (peer-reviewed lipid composition)
07
Metabolizable energy of meal from Hermetia illucens larvae was reported at ~3.0–3.5 Mcal/kg depending on inclusion and processing (peer-reviewed nutrition study reporting range)
08
Amino acid digestibility of insect meal can exceed 85% in some fish trial conditions (study reported digestibility threshold)
09
3.5x higher lysine proportion than in some conventional plant proteins was reported for a specific insect meal case study (peer-reviewed comparative finding)
10
Inclusion rates of 10–20% insect meal in fish diets are commonly reported in trials as producing comparable growth performance (trial inclusion range reported)
Interpretation
Nutritional Composition Interpretation
Insect protein sources for the nutritional composition category typically deliver substantial protein around 38.8% with variable fat levels as broad as 4.5% to 28–38%, while key nutritional quality indicators such as near-complete essential amino acid coverage in Bombyx mori pupae and omega 3 fatty acids reaching about 26.3–28.7 g per 100 g dry matter make them nutritionally versatile.
04 · Category
Environmental Impact7 stats
01
Energy use for producing insect protein was reported as 70% lower than for conventional chicken feed production in one comparative LCA scenario (reported reduction percent)
02
In LCAs, ammonia emissions from insect rearing were reported to be low relative to livestock systems, with reductions of ~60% under covered facility scenarios (reported reduction)
03
Digestate from insect rearing can be used as fertilizer; nutrient recovery efficiency is reported at 50–70% for nitrogen in some studies (measured recovery efficiencies)
04
Manure-waste valorization rates: up to 75% of total rearing substrate mass can be reduced/converted in some BSF systems (mass reduction reported)
05
Feed waste reduction potential: using insect-based bioconversion can divert up to 100% of suitable organic side streams from landfill/incineration in system designs (diversion capacity reported as maximum)
06
In a 2021 life-cycle assessment update, climate change impact for insect meal was reported at ~1.5–3.0 kg CO2e per kg protein equivalent for certain setups (reported LCA numbers)
07
In a 2020 LCA, eutrophication impacts for insect meal were estimated at ~0.03–0.08 kg PO4e per kg protein equivalent (reported LCA values)
Interpretation
Environmental Impact Interpretation
Across environmental impact assessments, insect protein systems show a clear advantage over conventional feed by cutting energy use by about 70 percent and reducing ammonia emissions by around 60 percent while also enabling strong nutrient recovery and substrate mass reduction rates up to 75 percent.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics11 stats
01
Insect meal can reduce feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 4–10% in some aquaculture trials compared with control diets (range reported by meta-analysis)
02
91% of studies reviewed reported no significant negative effect on growth performance when insect meal replaced conventional proteins in fish diets (systematic review share)
03
Feed intake remained within ±5% of control diets in multiple insect meal inclusion studies in poultry (reported consistency band)
04
2.0–3.0% reductions in nitrogen excretion were measured in animal studies using insect-based protein ingredients (measured outcome range)
05
10% inclusion of Hermetia illucens meal improved apparent digestibility of crude protein by 8.6 percentage points in a broiler study (percentage-point improvement reported)
06
Comparable survival rates (~95% vs ~96% controls) were reported in fish feeding experiments using insect meal (survival outcome values)
07
Up to 18% improvement in gut microbiota diversity indices (Shannon index) was observed in mice fed insect-derived protein (study reported index change)
08
Dose-response studies reported a 25–40% reduction in methane production using insect meal as part of ruminant diets (measured methane outcome reduction range)
09
In a meta-analysis, insect meal inclusion was associated with an average weight gain difference of +0.05 SD units vs controls (effect size reported)
10
In shrimp, protein digestibility increased by 12–15% with insect meal inclusion at studied levels (measured digestibility increase)
11
In aquaculture trials, body weight gain was statistically comparable (p>0.05) between insect meal and conventional protein diets in 14 of 18 published comparisons (count from review synthesis)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, insect protein ingredients show consistently positive or neutral effects, with feed conversion ratio improving by 4 to 10 percent in aquaculture trials and 91 percent of reviewed studies reporting no significant growth drawbacks, while poultry feed intake stays within plus or minus 5 percent of controls.
More related reading
06 · Category
Supply Capacity4 stats
01
1,000+ insect species are reported as potential feed ingredients (often cited as the universe of candidate species used in research and industry pipelines)
02
60% of global insect-production companies are located in Europe, based on an industry mapping of producing businesses by region
03
3.3 million tonnes of edible insect biomass are projected to be produced globally by 2030 for food and feed, including multiple production pathways (projection figure in a scenario-based assessment)
04
1.9 million tonnes of insect biomass were estimated to be produced globally in 2021 for food and feed (estimate from an industry outlook drawing on multiple national/industry sources)
Interpretation
Supply Capacity Interpretation
With global insect biomass production rising from an estimated 1.9 million tonnes in 2021 to a projected 3.3 million tonnes by 2030, the supply capacity of the industry is scaling quickly enough to support growing food and feed demand.
07 · Category
Demand Drivers3 stats
01
25% of surveyed fish feed formulators report that insects would be a ‘high-priority’ substitute for marine proteins within 5 years (survey-based share in a trade survey)
02
40% of feed protein demand growth in aquaculture is expected to come from products positioned as ‘sustainable’ by regulators and retailers (share figure cited in a FAO/OECD-style outlook)
03
70% of aquaculture stakeholders surveyed indicated willingness to try insect-based feed ingredients if consistent performance data are provided (survey share in a peer-reviewed behavioral study)
Interpretation
Demand Drivers Interpretation
Demand for insect protein is gaining momentum because 40% of aquaculture feed protein growth is expected to come from sustainability positioned products and 70% of stakeholders say they would try insect-based feed if performance data are proven, with 25% of fish feed formulators already viewing insects as a high-priority marine protein substitute within 5 years.
08 · Category
Policy & Regulation4 stats
01
55% of consumers in a European willingness-to-pay study were willing to pay a premium for food products containing insect-derived protein (stated willingness share in a peer-reviewed choice experiment)
02
Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 removed species-specific restrictions and allowed use of insect-derived processed protein in aquafeeds for certain categories, expanding the regulatory pathway (scope-change described in the regulation text)
03
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1868 updated Union-list entries for insect species/processing categories permitted as feed materials (updated list coverage figure across entries in the act)
04
Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1372 lays down detailed rules for sampling and analysis for feed ingredients, including processed animal proteins—creating standardized compliance testing requirements (rule specifies sampling/analysis framework)
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
European regulation appears to be steadily enabling insect protein use, with EU changes in 2015 and updated 2021 and 2022 feed rules removing barriers and expanding permitted processing categories, while a 55% consumer willingness-to-pay premium suggests policy progress is aligning with market demand.
09 · Category
Cost Economics5 stats
01
12% to 18% of product formulation costs in aquaculture feeds are typically attributed to protein inputs; insect meal is positioned to compete on cost-per-usable-protein (cost share range from feed formulation cost breakdown studies)
02
15% lower cost per kilogram of crude protein is reported as an attainable target in multiple techno-economic studies for insect meal at scale versus conventional protein sources under optimized parameters (model-based cost delta range)
03
$1.0 billion in combined investment/financing is reported across insect-protein supply-chain companies in 2016–2020 (aggregate figure in an industry investment compendium)
04
Up to 30% of a typical insect farming variable cost is associated with feedstock/substrate in techno-economic models (variable-cost share modeled in enterprise-level cost analyses)
05
Energy and process utilities can represent 5% to 15% of total production costs in controlled insect production systems (modeled cost component range)
Interpretation
Cost Economics Interpretation
Cost economics for the insect protein industry looks strongest when crude protein is competitive because protein ingredients make up about 12% to 18% of aquaculture feed formulation costs and techno economic targets suggest insect meal can deliver roughly 15% lower cost per kilogram of crude protein, while feedstock typically drives up to 30% of variable costs and energy and utilities add another 5% to 15% in controlled systems.
report visual · Key figures
Global production and market growth signals for insect protein
Scale-up is already underway, alongside projected market expansion for insect feed and insect protein products.
2.0
2.0 million tons of insects were produced globally for human consumption and animal feed in 2021
1.2
USD 1.2 billion: estimated global insect feed market size by 2023 (reported estimate)
7.2
USD 7.2 billion: estimated global insect protein market size by 2030 (reported estimate)
1.9
1.9 million tonnes of insect biomass were estimated to be produced globally in 2021 for food and feed (estimate from an
3.3
3.3 million tonnes of edible insect biomass are projected to be produced globally by 2030 for food and feed, including m
source-verifiedfao.org · globenewswire.com · ifpri.org2030
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Insect Protein Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/insect-protein-industry-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Insect Protein Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/insect-protein-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Insect Protein Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/insect-protein-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
55 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+41 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)