The Insect Institute addresses urgent public issues in the context of the insects as food and feed industry.

The Insect Institute is a non-profit organization committed to providing policymakers, the public, investors, NGOs, and other stakeholders with evidence-based recommendations concerning the farming of insects as food and feed, including its impact on the environment, animal welfare, public health, and the rest of the food chain. While insect farming has been presented as a sustainable solution to meet global demand for protein, a growing body of research, including peer-reviewed academic research produced by the Insect Institute in collaboration with international researchers from other institutions, shows that the merits of insect farming have been exaggerated.

Due to serious consumer acceptance issues, insects show little ability to displace conventional meat. They are instead farmed overwhelmingly as feed for farmed animals or ingredients in premium pet food. However, using insects as feed is resource-intensive in several ways. Among these is that insect farming often relies on high-quality feed ingredients for insects which would more efficiently be fed directly to humans or other animals or used for other purposes. Accordingly, rather than bringing about the necessary transformation in our food system, there is a serious risk that insect farming will add yet another expensive and unsustainable layer to the food system we already have. Insect farming also poses other risks, such as the potential for escapes from farms or improper disposal or diseased insects to spread pathogens to wild populations.

The Insect Institute cautions policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders to seriously assess whether insect farming will actually promote vital goals like environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and public health, rather than working to the detriment of other, more promising means of addressing the shortcomings of our broken food system. We support the development and implementation of appropriate regulations and best practices to govern insect farming moving forward, including scientifically-informed biosecurity protocols, welfare standards, and safety regulations concerning acceptable insect feeds. We endorse the role of alternative proteins and novel foods in addressing the shortcomings of our current food system, but we advise against classing farmed insects alongside alternative proteins which have realistic prospects of transforming our food system by competing with conventional animal products. The Insect Institute is independently funded by institutions and individuals who are concerned about the future of food production. We are not associated with or financially supported by any industry or for-profit entity. 

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We’re grateful for donations of all sizes. To help us keep administrative costs low and direct more resources to our work, we suggest a minimum contribution of $50. For donors considering monthly gifts below $50, quarterly or semi-annual contributions can be a great alternative that still spreads support across the year. We truly appreciate your contribution.

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Insect Institute