RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Are Consumers Aware of Sustainability Aspects Related to Edible Insects? Results from a Study Involving 14 Countries
A1 Guiné, Raquel P. F.
A1 Florença, Sofia G.
A1 Anjos, Ofélia
A1 Boustani, Nada M.
A1 Chuck-Hernández, Cristina
A1 Sarić, Marijana Matek
A1 Ferreira, Manuela
A1 Costa, Cristina A.
A1 Bartkiene, Elena
A1 Cardoso, Ana P.
A1 Tarcea, Monica
A1 Correia, Paula M. R.
A1 Campos, Sofia
A1 Papageorgiou, Maria
A1 Abarquero Camino, Daniel
A1 Korzeniowska, Malgorzata
A1 Černelič-Bizjak, Maša
A1 Kruma, Zanda
A1 Damarli, Emel
A1 Ferreira, Vanessa
A1 Djekic, Ilija
A2 Tecnologia de los Alimentos
K1 Tecnología de los alimentos
K1 Edible insects
K1 Minimize waste
K1 Sustainability
K1 Sociodemographic characteristics
K1 Socioeconomic variables
K1 Country differences
K1 Motivation
K1 3309 Tecnología de Los Alimentos
AB [EN]In recent years, edible insects have been suggested as an alternative food that is more sustainable compared with other sources of animal protein. However, knowledge about the sustainability aspects associated with this source of food may play a role in convincing consumers to adopt insects as part of their diet. In this context, the present study investigated the level of knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects in a group of people originating from 14 countries, with some naturally entomophagous and others not. To measure the knowledge, 11 items were selected and the scores obtained were tested with statistical tools (t-test for independent samples, analysis of variance—ANOVA) to search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, geographical origin, and consumption habits of edible insects. The obtained results showed that, in general, knowledge is moderate, with the values of the average scores for the 11 items investigated ranging from 0.23 ± 0.99 to 0.66 ± 1.02, on a scale ranging from −2 (=very low knowledge) to 2 (=very high knowledge). The highest scores were found for items relating to the lower use of animal feed and lower emission of greenhouse gases required for the production of insects compared with beef. When investigating the differences between groups of participants, significant differences were generally found, revealing a trend for higher knowledge among males and young adults, for participants residing in urban areas and in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Poland, and for participants with higher education levels and higher incomes. When testing the influence of consumption variables on the level of knowledge, the results showed a higher knowledge for participants who had already consumed insects or are willing to consume them. Finally, it was observed that higher knowledge was found for participants whose motivation to consume insects related to curiosity, a wish to preserve the planet, the gastronomic characteristics of insects, and their nutritional value. In conclusion, these results clearly indicate a very marked influence of a number of variables on the knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects, and this may be helpful to delineate strategies to effectively raise knowledge and eventually increase the willingness to consider insects as a more sustainable alternative to partially replace other protein foods, even in countries where this is a not a traditional practice.
PB MDPI
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10612/20234
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10612/20234
NO Guiné, R. P. F., Florença, S. G., Anjos, O., Boustani, N. M., Chuck Hernández, C., Sarić, M. M., Ferreira, M., Costa, C. A., Bartkiene, E., Cardoso, A. P., Tarcea, M., Correia, P. M. R., Campos, S., Papageorgiou, M., Camino, D. A., Korzeniowska, M., Černelič-Bizjak, M., Kruma, Z., Damarli, E., et al. (2022). Are Consumers Aware of Sustainability Aspects Related to Edible Insects? Results from a Study Involving 14 Countries. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(21), Article e14125. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU142114125
DS BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
RD 14-jun-2024