A Comparison of Attitudes towards Entomophagy

Abstract

With an estimated world population of nine billion people by 2050, global food production will have to double. Insects are a viable way to fill this need but most Western societies’ view of entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is with disgust. Whereas, other cultures from around the world eat insects regularly to meet their nutritional needs. In this study, a portion of the undergraduate body at the University of Minnesota Duluth was assessed for their perspective of entomophagy. The results indicated that there is a gender difference between females and males, where males are more willing to engage in entomophagy than females. In addition, there is not a significant difference on the perspective of entomophagy based on academic major, nor due to the perceived experience of an individual’s first recalled encounter with an insect. The results of this study can be used to design specific tactics for educating current generations in Western societies of the custom of entomophagy.