Edible Insects For Animal Feed Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Global Edible Insects For Animal Feed Market Trends and Insights

Rapid Cost Decline in Large-scale Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Farming

Automation and vertical farm design improvements have cut unit production costs by more than 35% since 2023, placing BSF meal within striking range of soybean concentrate on a protein-adjusted basis. Macquarie University’s gene-edited larvae research lifts feed-conversion ratios and decreases mortality, sharpening economic viability. Innovafeed’s Phase 3 expansion in Nesle, France's facility quintuples capacity while cutting energy intensity per metric ton of protein. Denmark’s Enorm facility produces more than 10,000 metric tons annually with minimal climate impact, illustrating how scale and eco-footprint can improve concurrently ^{[2]Source: PHYS.ORG, “Danish insect farm sets sights on feeding Europe's livestock,” phys.org}. Automated larval handling, AI-driven feeding, and optimized substrates are projected to shave a further 15% off cash costs by 2027. These dynamics enhance competitiveness across the edible insects for the animal feed market, especially in price-sensitive aquaculture.

Regulatory Green Lights for Insect Meal in Aquafeed

The European Food Safety Authority’s clearance of multiple insect species and the European Commission’s 2025 approval of UV-treated mealworm powder set strong precedents. Singapore’s authorization of 16 insect species and Thailand’s BSF meal standards add regional momentum. Industry group IPIFF coordinates data-sharing to accelerate approvals, while Indonesia drafts quarantine rules that could streamline trade lanes. Faster approval cycles shorten commercialization timelines for new facilities, enabling the edible insects for animal feed market to tap the vast aquafeed segment that consumes 40 million metric tons of compound feed yearly. Harmonized rules reduce compliance costs and encourage cross-border investment.

Sustainability Mandates From Global Feed Majors

Feed giants embed Scope 3 targets that require lower-carbon proteins, positioning insect meal as a direct substitute for fishmeal and soy . Skretting’s roadmap assigns quantifiable carbon budgets to each ingredient, elevating insects within procurement algorithms. Joint trials among Protix, Veramaris, and Skretting produced shrimp now retailed by Albert Heijn, proving that downstream retailers value low-carbon feed inputs. Grieg Seafood mandates that 5% of feed volume comes from novel ingredients by 2030. Such commitments create predictable pull for the edible insects for animal feed market and justify capital-intensive factories.

Growth in Premium Pet Food Requiring Hypoallergenic Proteins

American Journal of Veterinary Research findings confirm that insect-based diets provide a complete amino acid and fatty acid profile while reducing allergen load for sensitive pets. AAFCO now permits BSF larvae in dog food, with feline approvals pending, widening product portfolios. Maltento’s European Union market entry and Ynsect’s green light in the United States illustrate rapid commercialization ^{[3]Source: Ynsect team, "ŸNSECT: The First Company to Obtain Authorization to Commercialize Mealworm Proteins for Dog Food in the United States", ynsect.com}. Insect oil offers functional benefits, such as medium-chain fatty acids, that support oral and cognitive health, differentiating premium SKUs. Consumers willing to pay premium price points absorb higher production costs, strengthening margins across the edible insects for animal feed market.

Slow Inclusion Limits for Poultry and Swine Feed in the United States

FDA evaluations for insect proteins in monogastric diets demand multi-year safety dossiers, delaying commercial roll-out beyond aquaculture. Comparative studies in Europe already show no prion-related risks, creating regulatory disparity. Post-Brexit United Kingdom rules keep insect proteins limited to fish and pets, further restricting volume. United States' producers therefore channel output to smaller, higher-margin segments such as pet food while awaiting broader approvals, slowing overall edible insects for animal feed market penetration.

High Upfront Capex for Vertical Insect Farms

Automated multistory grow-houses cost upward of USD 20 million for an annual capacity of 6,000 metric tons, with paybacks exceeding seven years absent subsidies. Beta Hatch’s new mealworm complex required a sizeable equity raise before construction. Entosystem’s USD 43 million financing in Quebec underscores the capital intensity facing even established players. Investor skepticism around unit economics has pushed Ynsect to explore strategic options including takeover. Without blended finance or government grants, many projects stall, constraining edible insects for animal feed market capacity growth.

Segment Analysis

By Insect Species: Black Soldier Fly Dominates Bioconversion Efficiency

Black soldier fly secured 42% of the edible insects for animal feed market share in 2024. The species converts a wide spectrum of organic waste streams into protein with feed-conversion efficiencies above 90%, and regulators in Europe, Asia, and North America increasingly approve its use across livestock classes. The edible insects for animal feed market size for BSF-based ingredients is projected to climb 13.8% CAGR through 2030 as automated facilities roll out in France, Netherlands, Singapore, and Illinois. Recent studies demonstrate that adding fruit fermentation liquid enhances larval growth and cuts ammonia emissions by 24.4%, bringing performance metrics closer to high-grade fishmeal.

Mealworm demand remains anchored in premium pet food, where its neutral flavor supports palatability. Genetic selection programs aimed at faster growth cycles and higher lipid content could push mealworms into poultry diets. Cricket protein stays niche but finds traction in specialty aquafeed due to chitin’s gut-health benefits. Niche species such as silkworms and grasshoppers together form less than 5% of the edible insects for animal feed market size yet attract R&D for region-specific waste streams.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Form: Powdered Meal Leads Processing Innovation

Powdered meal accounted for 37.5% of the edible insects for animal feed market in 2024, benefiting from compatibility with existing mash and pellet lines. Standardized protein levels simplify feed-formulation software inputs, reducing reformulation time. Oil extraction and its medium-chain fatty acids provide health claims in pet nutrition. Whole dried insects cater to backyard poultry and ornamental fish keepers who value intact structure. The oil subsegment is poised for a 13.9% CAGR as lipid fractionation techniques mature, yielding antifungal compounds that extend feed shelf life.

Processing breakthroughs such as UV treatment of mealworm powder now recognized by the European Commission show how novel preservation can unlock wider market access. Extracts and hydrolysates rich in antimicrobial peptides are gaining research funding for targeted aquaculture applications where disease-management benefits can justify premium pricing. Chitin and chitosan byproducts present parallel revenue lines, supporting the circular-economy credentials of the edible insects for animal feed market.

By Application: Aquafeed Drives Volume While Pet Food Commands Premiums

Aquafeed dominated with 48.3% of the edible insects for animal feed market size in 2024, reflecting 1:1 amino-acid replacement potential for fishmeal and price resilience amid volatile marine ingredient supply. Trials in Kenya found BSF larvae could substitute 50% of tilapia diets while maintaining growth and improving farm profitability. Pet food captured a significant share but leads the growth of the market with its 13.7% CAGR outpaces all other segments as hypoallergenic claims and sustainability labels resonate with urban consumers. Poultry feed adoption lags due to the United States regulatory constraints yet trials confirm performance parity when inclusion rates remain within 10–15%.

Functional positioning is rising wherein Protix markets insect meal as a health-active ingredient backed by 40 peer-reviewed papers documenting gut-mucosal benefits and immune modulation. Swine and ruminant feed remain minor but will expand once regulatory approvals align.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Europe commanded 40.2% of the edible insects for animal feed market in 2024, reflecting robust regulatory foundations and mature aquaculture demand. Innovafeed’s Nesle megafactory and Protix’s Zeeland site illustrate how France and Netherlands serve as continental hubs. Denmark’s Enorm facility shows northern nations can align scale with low carbon footprints. As carbon-pricing tightens, European feed formulators increasingly lock in insect meal purchase contracts, stabilizing demand but moderating growth rates.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing territory, posting a 13.8% CAGR to 2030. Singapore’s 2024 approval of 16 insect species and Thailand’s black soldier fly production standards attract investors into Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, each leveraging abundant waste substrates. Regional aquaculture output surpasses 60 million metric tons, creating sustained pull for low-carbon ingredients. Entobel’s cross-border supply chains and Nasekomo’s neonate shipping service exemplify a pan-regional model of distributed production and centralized genetics.

North America also occupied a significant share in 2024 but holds latent upside. Ynsect’s United States dog-food clearance removes a key hurdle. Beta Hatch’s Washington plant signals industrial-scale capacity is emerging domestically. Federal grants to Innovafeed for insect-based fertilizers show policy support in adjacent markets. Harmonizing FDA inclusion limits with aquaculture precedents will be pivotal for substantial uptake in poultry and swine feeds.