Edible Insect Animal Feed Market - Global Forecast 2026-2032

The Edible Insect Animal Feed Market size was estimated at USD 2.67 billion in 2025 and expected to reach USD 3.04 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 13.18% to reach USD 6.36 billion by 2032.

In recent years, a paradigm shift has emerged in animal nutrition as industry stakeholders turn towards insect-derived proteins to meet escalating sustainability and performance goals. Insects such as black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, and crickets offer protein concentrations ranging from 42 to 63 percent and lipid contents up to 36 percent, rivaling traditional feed ingredients while significantly reducing environmental impact through superior feed conversion efficiencies and lower greenhouse gas emissions. As pressure mounts to alleviate fishmeal and soybean meal shortages amid growing global demand for meat, fish, and dairy, insect-based meals have transitioned from experimental feed components to viable alternatives in commercial diets for poultry, swine, aquaculture species, and companion animals.

The insect feed sector has undergone transformative shifts driven by regulatory innovations, technological advancements, and evolving consumer and investor sentiment. Legislative bodies in Europe and North America have enacted frameworks to authorize insect protein use in aquaculture feed since 2017 and expanded its inclusion in poultry and swine rations by 2021, catalyzing market entry for multiple insect meal producers. Concurrently, technological refinements in automated rearing and processing systems have propelled yield improvements, enabling large-scale operations that upcycle agri-food byproducts into high-quality insect ingredients while minimizing resource input and waste output.

Furthermore, strategic collaborations between insect innovators and legacy agribusinesses have accelerated commercialization efforts. Partnerships such as ADM’s joint development of a BSF facility in Decatur with Innovafeed and Tyson Foods’ equity investment and joint venture with Protix exemplify the sector’s maturation, enhancing feedstock integration, scaling production capacity, and legitimizing insect proteins across pet, livestock, and aquaculture industries.

In April 2025, the U.S. administration’s invocation of emergency powers introduced a baseline 10 percent universal tariff on imports and tiered "reciprocal" duties on more than 60 major trading partners, marking the most sweeping protectionist measure in nearly a century. These tariffs superseded preexisting general duties, which had applied a 1.1 percent rate to insect products under HTS code 0410.10.00.00, raising baseline import costs for insect meal by nearly ninefold.

For insect-derived ingredients, additional country-specific levies on Chinese shipments have driven effective duties above 50 percent, while favorable exemptions under USMCA preserve near-zero rates for compliant Canadian and Mexican products. This tariff landscape has disrupted global supply chains, elevating landed costs for imported insect meals and oils and incentivizing domestic feed ingredient production to mitigate exposure to elevated import duties.

As a direct consequence, leading producers have galvanized investment into U.S.-based facilities to circumvent tariff barriers and secure cost-competitive supply. Innovafeed’s North American Innovation Center in Decatur, poised to leverage ADM’s corn by-product streams, and Protix’s planned U.S. facility, backed by strategic Tyson Foods funding, illustrate how stakeholders are realigning operations to thrive under new trade constraints.

Market segmentation reveals nuanced opportunities across insect species, target livestock, product formats, and sales channels that collectively shape strategic positioning and portfolio optimization. Black soldier fly remains the preeminent insect type, with larvae and prepupae fractions offering differentiated protein, lipid, and chitin profiles suited for distinct applications, while cricket and mealworm proteins serve as complementary ingredients with tailored amino acid balances.

By animal category, aquaculture feed applications bifurcate into fish and shrimp diets, where insect proteins replace traditional fishmeal to enhance nutritional sustainability. Pet food formulations leverage precise BSF and cricket meal inclusions for cat and dog nutrition, capitalizing on growing premium pet wellness trends. Poultry feed opportunities span broiler and layer rations, driving improvements in growth performance and egg quality, whereas starter and grower swine feeds harness insect meal’s immunomodulatory benefits to bolster weaning and finishing outcomes.

Product form innovation further distinguishes market offerings: defatted insect meals capitalize on high-protein content for precision diets, full-fat meals provide balanced energy and lipid sources, and protein powders deliver concentrated, low-moisture ingredients amenable to extrusion processes and supplement formulations. Lastly, distribution channels ranging from direct sales agreements with feed integrators to online platforms targeting niche pet food and specialty aquafeed producers allow companies to optimize market reach, margin structures, and supply chain agility.

Regional dynamics underscore varying regulatory environments, feed industry maturity, and sustainability priorities. In the Americas, robust livestock and aquaculture sectors in the U.S. and Latin America benefit from supportive frameworks for insect feed integration, exemplified by AAFCO’s evolving ingredient definitions and USDA research grants fostering domestic BSF facility development. Brazil’s burgeoning aquafeed market further opens avenues for insect meal adoption amid soybean supply volatility and deforestation concerns.

The Europe, Middle East & Africa region presents a regulatory tapestry where the EU’s Novel Food authorization process shapes market entry for insect-derived ingredients, and EMEA producers leverage RCEP and bilateral agreements to optimize feedstock sourcing. South Africa and Nigeria are emerging as insect protein hotspots, with government-led sustainability initiatives and waste valorization projects driving local BSF factory rollouts.

Asia-Pacific stands at the forefront of operational scale, particularly in Southeast Asia and East Asia, where established waste management infrastructures support cost-effective insect rearing. Regulatory permissiveness in countries like South Korea enables food waste substrates for BSF cultivation, while China and Vietnam are advancing pilot programs for insect-feed safety and quality standards, positioning APAC as both a production hub and rapidly growing end-use market.

A cadre of innovative companies spearheads the scaling and commercialization of insect-based feed solutions. Protix leads capacity expansion efforts with multi-million-dollar investments from Tyson Foods and InvestEU, underpinning planned facilities in the United States, Poland, and South Korea to convert significant volumes of food waste into protein and lipids for livestock, aquaculture, and pet food sectors. Innovafeed’s strategic partnership with ADM in Decatur exemplifies vertical integration, harnessing by-product streams from a major corn mill to produce tens of thousands of metric tons of BSF-derived proteins and oils annually.

EnviroFlight, a joint venture of Darling Ingredients and Intrexon, has secured FDA and AAFCO approvals to expand BSFL applications beyond salmonid diets, advancing trials in poultry and swine feeds that demonstrate enhanced growth performance, gut health, and immune function. Agriprotein’s global R&D footprint and Millibeter acquisition position it to deliver integrated waste-to-nutrient solutions serving aquaculture and livestock industries, supported by significant private funding and non-profit partnerships. Goterra’s large-scale rendering trials in Australia validate the scalability and consistent quality of insect meals exceeding 70 percent protein benchmarks for feed formulations.

Additional noteworthy players include Hexafly, Enterra Feed, and Entobel, each advancing proprietary rearing technologies, substrate innovations, and regional production networks to drive cost competitiveness, product differentiation, and industry consolidation.

Industry leaders should adopt a multi-pronged strategy to capture emerging value in insect-based feed markets. First, establish flexible production platforms capable of processing diverse feedstocks and producing modular product formats to meet shifting nutritional requirements and regulatory criteria. Robust process monitoring, traceability systems, and hazard controls will ensure quality compliance and facilitate market approvals across regions.

Second, pursue strategic alliances with conventional feed and agribusiness incumbents to integrate insect meal streams within existing supply chains, leveraging partner infrastructure to scale rapidly and access established distribution networks. Joint ventures, co-investments, and off-take agreements can de-risk capital-intensive facility buildouts and enhance market credibility.

Third, complement B2B direct sales with digital engagement models to address artisanal and specialty feed segments, building brand visibility and cultivating early adopters. Data-driven marketing initiatives and application-specific feed trials will generate performance evidence, inform key opinion leaders, and accelerate conversion rates.

Finally, maintain active dialogues with regulatory agencies to shape policy frameworks, anticipate legislative shifts, and position insect proteins as integral components of sustainable feed mandates. Participation in industry associations and collaborative research consortia will amplify advocacy efforts and secure favorable market conditions.

This research integrates primary and secondary qualitative methodologies to deliver a holistic analysis of the edible insect animal feed market. Primary insights were gathered via structured interviews with senior executives from leading insect protein companies, feed integrators, regulatory officials, and industry association representatives, capturing nuanced perspectives on operational challenges, market entry strategies, and future growth drivers. Complementary field visits to insect rearing and processing facilities across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific validated technological capabilities and scale-up trajectories.

Secondary data collection encompassed peer-reviewed journals, government reports, international trade databases, and regulatory filings to quantify nutritional profiles, tariff classifications, and policy developments. A rigorous triangulation process cross-verified primary and secondary findings to ensure factual accuracy and mitigate potential biases. Competitive benchmarking assessed product portfolios, investment rounds, and strategic alliances of more than 20 leading market participants.

All information has been synthesized to produce actionable insights and robust market intelligence, offering stakeholders a clear understanding of the evolving landscape, segmentation nuances, regional dynamics, and strategic imperatives shaping the future of insect-based animal feeds.

The edible insect animal feed sector stands poised at a pivotal inflection point where sustainability imperatives, feed industry innovation, and trade policy disruptions converge to redefine conventional nutrition paradigms. Accelerating regulatory approvals, technological maturation, and strategic partnerships have elevated insect-based ingredients from niche applications to core components in aquaculture, poultry, swine, and specialty pet feeds. Concurrently, sweeping tariff reforms have catalyzed domestic production investments, reshaping supply chain architectures and prompting a localized resurgence among established producers and new entrants alike.

As global protein demands intensify and environmental constraints tighten, insect-derived proteins offer a versatile, nutrient-dense solution aligned with circular economy principles. Success in this dynamic landscape will hinge on operational agility, cross-industry collaboration, and proactive policy engagement to realize the full potential of insect feed innovations. By leveraging rigorous market insights, stakeholders can chart informed strategies to capitalize on emerging opportunities, mitigate trade risks, and pioneer the next frontier of sustainable animal nutrition.

Ready to harness the strategic advantages of a comprehensive edible insect animal feed market report? Connect with Ketan Rohom, Associate Director of Sales & Marketing at 360iResearch, to explore in-depth insights tailor-made for your organization’s objectives and secure early access to actionable data and analysis.