Insect Animal Feed Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Type (Crickets, Locusts & Grasshoppers, Mealworms & Silkworms, Black Soldier Flies & House Flies), By Animal (Swine, Poultry, Aqua, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

The global insect animal feed market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 45.45% to reach US$18202.35 million in 2028 from US$1321.92 million in 2021.

Insect species are fed to animals as food, either for pets or for cattle, including aquaculture. Various insects can be utilized as feed for aquaculture due to their nutritional profile, particularly the high protein content. Research was conducted on pigs, poultry, and edible fish that are fed an insect-based diet. For swine and poultry, insects can offer the same amount of protein and necessary amino acids that could replace soybean meal in a diet. Mealworms, common house fly larvae, and black-soldier flies are a few of the most prevalent insects used in the preparation of animal feed. Common house flies and black army flies are frequently found in manure and organic garbage. Insect growth could improve the management of organic waste and manure while giving pets and cattle nutrient-rich nutrition.

The insect animal feed market is anticipated to grow with increasing production capacity and R&D in insect-based animal feed products.

Initially, the cost of producing insect-based feed items is quite minimal. The market for edible insects is expanding. As a result, businesses have increased their production capacities. The economic potential of insect-based animal feed products is being recognized by investors. For instance, researchers at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) received more than £10,000 in December 2022 to study the use of edible insects in livestock feed. To design a plan for growing insects for animal feed, specifically the black soldier fly, the research will bring together insect farmers, feed industry operators, and policymakers. The research was supported by the SEFARI (Scottish Environment, Food, and Agriculture Research Institutes) Gateway, and experts at the SRUC have earned the Innovative Knowledge Exchange grant worth over £10,700.

Key Developments:

• Protix, a company that produces sustainable ingredients from insects, announced in October 2022 that it had received investments worth a total of US$57.2 million from the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), The Good Investors, the Prince Albert II Fund, and BNP Paribas. The company's current investors Aqua-Spark, Rabo Investments, and Invest-NL, also contributed money to the investments. Protix plans to use the funds for international growth and to carry out more research and development on insect-based compounds.
• French firm Invers acquired €15 million in funding in September 2022 to turn insects into a substitute source of proteins for livestock feed. The fund was administered by Citizen Capital in collaboration with Foundation Avril, as also IDIA Capital Investissement, and Agri Impact were the main investors in the Series A round. 500 specialized retailers around France that are part of national networks like Gamm Vert, Magasin Vert, and Botanic already offer Invers' full line of pet food products.

Mealworms are the most common insect in the insect animal feed market.

The great nutritional value and low danger of zoonotic infections of mealworms are the main reasons for their increasing demand. In addition, they offer an animal protein source that is more environment friendly than the usual ones. Furthermore, after eating mealworms, animal faeces can be utilized as a good organic fertilizer. As a result, the mealworms category is anticipated to hold a sizeable portion of this market.

Based on animal type, the aquaculture segment is anticipated to occupy a sizeable proportion of the market for insect animal feed.

The market for insects used as food is dynamic and influenced by several variables. Notably, according to a survey from the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), the aquafeed industry became the primary target for Food Business Operators (FBOs) with the approval of insect Processed Animal Proteins (PAPs) in aquaculture. The insect feed offers aquatic life a feasible, protein-rich alternative. The outcome of substituting fishmeal in aquaculture species' diets has been encouraging. In addition, because of their high protein and energy content, insects are increasingly becoming recognized as a suitable source of animal feed.

Europe has a sizable portion of this market; however, Asia Pacific is expected to grow quickly throughout the projected period.

The Asia Pacific market is anticipated to expand rapidly due to the rising demand for products made from insects for animal feed and livestock farming. In this region, end-user industries like pet food and feed, livestock, and aquaculture are developing, which, in turn, help the insect animal feed market. Further, a sizable portion of the market for insects used as animal feed is in Europe. The bug species with the fastest growth rate in the region's demand for edible insects used as animal feed are mealworms, black soldier flies, and orthoptera. Additionally, Europe hosts a sizable number of start-up businesses that concentrate on breeding and creating products using insects.

Market Segmentation:

• By Type
  • Crickets, Locusts & Grasshoppers
  • Mealworms & Silkworms
  • Black Soldier Flies & House Flies
• By Animal
  • Swine
  • Poultry
  • Aqua
  • Others
• By Geography
  • Americas
    • USA
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Others
  • Middle East And Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Others