Edible Insects: How to Increase the Sustainable Consumption Behavior among Restaurant Consumers

Abstract

Edible insects deserve increased attention as green food source in today’s society and more restaurants embrace them to promote sustainable consumption behavior. This study was design to explore how consumers’ behavioral intentions to use edible insect restaurants were formed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. Furthermore, the study attempted to deepen TPB by including the moderating role of product knowledge. A total of 440 samples were collected by online survey in South Korea, and the results of structural equation modeling found that all of the hypotheses have been statistically accepted. Additionally, the results of multiple group analysis indicated that product knowledge moderated the link between subjective norm and behavioral intentions. On a basis of the analysis results, we provided significant theoretical implications and practical implications how to increase future sustainable food consumption intention.

Consumers' acceptance of the first novel insect food approved in the European Union: Predictors of yellow mealworm chips consumption

“…Several practical implications can be derived from the findings suggesting effective ways to increase YMC consumption among Romanian consumers. First, the beneficial impact of YMC on the environment should be extensively communicated, as previously suggested by Hwang and Kim ( 2021 ). Specific labels and education‐information campaigns are ways to enhance potential customers' positive attitudes toward it.…”

Edible Insects Consumption in Africa towards Environmental Health and Sustainable Food Systems: A Bibliometric Study

“…Furthermore, edible insect-based diets present advantages including a low carbon footprint compared to beef, pork or poultry production [ 63 ] that results in a reduced need for land, a more rational use of energy and a reduced need for freshwater. According to [ 14 , 40 ], for a given 1kg of protein, edible insects require small pieces of land to be produced, compared to livestock production.…”

“…The need for only small pieces of land means that insect farms can constitute an opportunity for livelihood diversification for low-income earning households [ 65 ], therefore reducing the level of environmental destruction and disturbances. Edible insect production is also attractive for its low cost of production [ 2 , 63 ], while being characterised by its only small environmental impact, and also allows for sustainable diets [ 14 ]. This is because insect farms require low initial capital outlay and equipment costs are minimal, therefore allowing for easy entry into the value chains [ 43 ].…”

“…The other environmental contribution of edible insects is that they can be used to improve sanitation while reducing pollution, for example, when flies’ larval and adult stages feed on the faecal waste matter [ 8 ]. The same mechanism can also be used to facilitate the recycling of livestock waste [ 63 ] by aiding the decomposition process. In addition, zoonotic disease transmission is quite limited between edible insects and humans as compared to between humans and birds or animals [ 17 ].…”

“…In addition, insects have single physiological as well as biological makeups that enable high feed conversion ratios (FCR) that enable the transformation of a given quantity of protein into animal protein [ 63 , 64 ]. Given the same quantity of feed between edible insects and other livestock, edible insects make the full efficient use of feed.…”