Europe Insect Protein Market 2025 – 2034

Reports Description

As per the Europe Insect Protein Market analysis conducted by the CMI Team, the Europe Insect Protein Market is expected to record a CAGR of 30.5% from 2025 to 2034. In 2025, the market size is projected to reach a valuation of USD 310.86 Million. By 2034, the valuation is anticipated to reach USD 3422.72 Billion.

Europe Insect Protein Market Overview

The European insect protein market has increased substantially in the recent past as a result of increasing demand for sustainable and alternative proteins for animal feeds and human consumption. Mealworms, crickets, and black soldier flies are now being farmed for their high protein levels, minimal environmental footprint, and simplicity to breed on organic waste products.

Regulatory progress, more specifically the EU’s Novel Food Regulation (Regulation EU 2015/2283), has allowed several insect species for human consumption. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) still evaluates safety and nutritional profiles, opening doors for greater market access. Countries like the Netherlands, France, and Belgium are at the forefront of production, with entities like Protix B.V. and Ÿnsect at the vanguard of large-scale insect farming ventures.

Further, the European Union’s focus on sustainability via the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy has once again fortified insect protein’s role in the regional food security agenda. Insect feed is also gaining popularity in the aquaculture, poultry, and pet food industries as the EU tries to diversify out of imported soy and fishmeal.

The push by the European Commission for circular economy practices and protein diversification is boosting public and private investment in the industry. With the growth of consumer awareness and a more evolved legal regime, Europe can become a leader in insect protein production and innovation.

Europe Insect Protein Market Key Growth Drivers

The Europe Insect Protein Market Trends has tremendous growth opportunities due to several reasons:

• EU Regulatory Approvals: As per the European Union’s Novel Food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, insect products must undergo evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before being authorized for sale in the market, ensuring consumer safety and an open process for regulation. Between 2021 and 2023, the EU approved several insect species as food items, including dried mealworms, migratory locusts, house crickets, and lesser mealworm larvae. These approvals have helped companies like Protix B.V., operator of the globe’s largest insect factory in the Netherlands, to expand beyond their existing products to meet EU standards, producing safe, high-quality insect ingredients for human food and animal feed.

• Growing Demand for Pet Food and Aquaculture: Insects are gaining value as ecologically safe, high-protein feedstock to replace conventional feed materials in pet food and aquaculture with environmental benefits as they can be produced successfully and cultivated on organic waste. Protix B.V. in the Netherlands is spearheading this revolution through the production of insect-based ingredients to fulfill the nutritional requirements of animals of different kinds, minimizing the intake of resource-intensive inputs such as fishmeal and soy. Concurrently, UK-based business AgriProtein also has products like MagMeal and MagOil from black soldier fly larvae that offer sustainable feed solutions with lower greenhouse gas footprints and lower land and water usage, enabling more sustainable systems of animal nutrition.

• Circular Economy Support: Insect rearing supports the circular economy through the transformation of organic waste into valuable commodities like proteins and oils to reduce wastage and maximize efficient use of resources. AgriProtein businesses are a classic example by recycling food waste to yield black soldier flies that get processed into sustainable feed products such as MagMeal and MagOil to minimize the environmental impact of waste management and conventional feed manufacturing. Similarly, Protix B.V. combines circular principles in the development of organic waste into premium insect protein for enhancing sustainability and aligning with the broader EU goals of resource efficiency and environmental protection.

Europe Insect Protein Market Key Threats

The European Insect Protein Market has some primary threats that will influence its profitability and future development. Some of the threats are:

• Regulatory Uncertainty in Some Geographies: Even if the EU has a strong regulatory framework for insect foodstuffs, implementation differences between member states bring uncertainty to producers, including inconsistencies in approval procedures and adoption that contribute to market entry difficulty. The British withdrawal from the EU introduces a further layer of complexity, with companies now having to contend with an extra new food approval regime, adding further to compliance costs and delays to product launch. There are also some of the EU countries that have delayed implementing or adopting the regulation, and this has resulted in uneven uptake and supply of insect-based products, and it becomes difficult for companies to have one European market presence.

• Competition from Plant-Based Proteins: Plant-based proteins, mainly sourced from plants such as soy, peas, and legumes, hold a stronghold in the alternative protein market because of their established value chains, low costs, and high level of consumer recognition, posing strong competition for the growing insect protein market. Firms such as Ÿnsect have struggled to scale production in the face of increasing operational expenses and market pressures, resulting in financial restructuring initiatives in 2025. The challenges reflect the wider competitive environment, in which plant-based proteins tend to enjoy price and market penetration benefits, highlighting the importance for producers of insect proteins to transparently differentiate their products and effectively communicate their environmental and nutritional advantages.

Europe Insect Protein Market Opportunities

• Education & Marketing Campaigns: Consumer education by means of focused marketing campaigns is needed to encourage higher adoption of insect foods, clear myths and emphasize their environmental and nutritional benefits. Certification labels such as Entrust foster confidence building through food safety, sustainability, and social responsibility. Branding and storytelling are also being used by companies to put the unique advantages of insect proteins, such as their minimal environmental footprint and nutritional density, in the spotlight as compelling choices within an increasingly competitive alternative protein market.

• Smart farm integration: Smart farm technology, like automation, sensors, and data analysis, is increasingly used in insect farming to make it more productive, reduce labor costs, and expand applications. For example, studies on the application of autonomous “smart bins” for rearing black soldier fly larvae showed that the application whereby live monitoring and automatic adjustment of rearing factors significantly enhances productivity. By streamlining processes with technology, manufacturers of insect protein can overcome the major scaling challenges and competitively match traditional protein sources while not compromising on sustainability and resource efficiency goals.

Europe Insect Protein Market Category Wise Insights

By Product

• Coleoptera: Coleoptera, including the mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) and lesser mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus), are greatly valued for their protein quality and feed conversion ratio for use in insect protein production. In January 2023, the European Commission approved Alphitobius diaperinus larvae as a human food ingredient in various states, namely frozen, paste, dried, and powder, after a positive opinion on safety by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This assistance has allowed Belgian and Dutch businesses to breed these larvae on farms and infuse them into everything from a burger patty to pasta to snack bars, opening up a new market for entomophagy.

• Lepidoptera: Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths, has larvae such as silkworms (Bombyx mori) that are being studied for their protein value and potential application in the food and feed industry. Silkworms, in specific, are known for their good quality protein and hence they form a source of sustainable nutrition of significant potential. While existing regulatory clearance for EU Lepidoptera species is currently limited, pilot studies and studies are discovering whether they can be used as a source of protein. The European Commission is already actively exploring novel food uses, and authorizations in the future may further evolve the market use of Lepidoptera-based proteins.

• Hymenoptera: Hymenoptera like bees, wasps, and ants are also being explored for their protein content and potential use in specialist food products, despite the fact that they are not traditionally consumed in Europe. Despite the fact that there are no current EU approvals for any Hymenoptera species as new foods, research is ongoing to determine their nutritional content and explore their potential uses. The research can open up grounds for future regulation talks, hopefully to bring these insects to the food industry.

• Orthoptera: Orthoptera, composed of grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts, are rich in protein and have good feed conversion efficiency and are thus suitable for insect protein products. Acheta domesticus (house cricket) and Locusta migratoria (migratory locust) are widely used as food and feed ingredients. In January 2023, partially defatted powder from Acheta domesticus was approved as a novel food by the European Commission. This approval gave Italian company Nutrinsect authorization to sell cricket flour for use by humans, a first for the industry. Nutrinsect, which has been producing cricket flour since 2020, now distributes it to food producers and the catering industry, expanding the market for insect products.

• Hemiptera: Hemiptera or bugs include species like cicadas and aphids, which are also being researched for protein content in foods and animal feed despite not being traditionally consumed in Europe. As of yet, there are no EU approvals in place for Hemiptera species as novel foods. However, ongoing research is focused on evaluating their nutritional value and safety for human use, which could eventually result in future regulatory possibilities and potentially make available the use of these insects within the food industry.

• Diptera (Flies): The flies, Diptera, comprise species such as the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) that are applied extensively in insect protein production, especially for animal feed. Due to their rapid growth and capability of developing organic waste into quality protein, the flies are increasingly being included in sustainable protein solutions. In April 2024, Protix announced the outcome of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by DIL, which is the environmental value of their black soldier fly-derived ingredients. The LCA demonstrated that CO₂ emissions are reduced by 78% through the use of Protix’s ProteinX insect meal over conventional plant-based proteins, paving the way for insect farming as sustainable.

By Application

• Food and Beverages: Insect protein is increasingly used as a mainstream ingredient in food and beverage products like protein bars, snacks, pasta, and baked foods, delivering sustainable and nutritious substitutes for traditional protein ingredients. Recent European Union approval of many different species of insects for human consumption has opened an opportunity for growth in insect-based food products. For example, the cricket flour produced by Nutrinsect is currently being incorporated into many types of food, combining traditional flour and cricket powder in an effort to boost nutritional content and promote sustainable food choices.

• Personal Care: Insect-derived ingredients are also emerging in the personal care market due to their properties, and more specifically, chitosan from insect exoskeletons. Chitosan is well known for its moisturizing and antimicrobial properties, and as such, it is being used in skincare products. Insects such as crickets and mealworms contain a lot of chitin, a biopolymer that can be transformed into chitosan, and it has other properties such as anti-inflammatory and wound-healing, making it an important ingredient in various personal care uses.

• Cosmetics: In cosmetics, chitosan from insects is prized for its film-forming and moisturizing attributes. Chitosan is derived from insect exoskeletons and is becoming increasingly popular because it is natural and provides advantages such as better skin hydration and protection of the barrier function. As consumer interest increases in natural and sustainable ingredients, the application of insect-based materials in cosmetics is predicted to increase. This trend provides an environmentally friendly substitute for conventional synthetic ingredients, in keeping with growing interest in sustainable beauty products.

Europe Insect Protein Market Impact of Latest Tariff Policies

In January 2025, the European Commission suggested tariffs on other Russian and Belarusian agricultural imports, some of them being fertilizers. This is to decrease the EU’s reliance on them, enhance food security and promote domestic industry. Insect protein per se is not targeted, but these efforts promote the emergence of alternate protein sources in the EU, which include insect proteins.

The EU has also been at the forefront of incorporating insect protein into its food system under the Novel Food Regulation. Six insect-derived products have been authorized as of the third quarter of 2024, with eight positive EFSA opinions. The regulation gives confidence that foods derived from insects are safe for human consumption and hence wins market acceptance.

In addition, the EU’s general agricultural policy, including the Green Deal and the future comprehensive protein strategy, is centered on sustainability and reducing the environmental impact. These efforts facilitate the uptake of alternative proteins like insect protein to minimize the environmental footprint of food production. By coordinating tariff policy with these strategic goals, the EU seeks to create a strong and sustainable food system that is favorable to new protein sources.

Report Scope

Europe Insect Protein Market Key Developments

In recent years, the Europe Insect Protein Market has experienced several crucial changes as the players in the market strive to grow their geographical footprint and improve their product line and profits by using synergies.

• In September 2021, The European Union approved the use of insect proteins in poultry and pig feed on September 7, 2021, a major step toward circular agriculture and sustainable livestock production. Insects provide a natural, highly digestible protein source for chickens and pigs, offering nutritional, health, welfare, and environmental benefits. This shift reduces reliance on protein sources linked to deforestation and overfishing, supporting the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy for resilient, local feed systems. Protix, a leader in industrial-scale insect production, played a key role in this change and collaborates with partners like Coppens Diervoeding and Agrifirm to innovate sustainable feed solutions. The approval is expected to significantly boost demand and production capacity for insect-based feeds, opening major EU markets representing around 65% of compound feed production.

• In February 2021, Canadian startup Entomo raised USD 0.0026 billion from undisclosed Canadian and Asian investors to expand its cricket protein operations. With growing Europe demand for sustainable protein due to the environmental impact of traditional livestock, Entomo plans to scale production, enhance sales and marketing efforts, and launch a new consumer brand. Crickets, which offer higher protein content than chicken, fish, or pork, require significantly less land, water, and feed, making them an eco-friendly protein source. Founded in 2014, Entomo Farms operates a 60,000-square-foot facility and supplies cricket-based ingredients to various Europe brands, solidifying its position as a leader in North America’s alternative protein market.

• In June 2022, EnviroFlight, a subsidiary of Darling Ingredients, opened a new Innovation Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina, to accelerate research and development on black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) for animal nutrition and other uses; the facility will help advance BSFL’s role as a sustainable, flexible, and nutrient-rich feed ingredient, offering benefits like lauric acid, antimicrobial peptides, and chitin for animal health, while also supporting regulatory approvals and scaling up production, all in line with Darling’s long-term mission of repurposing natural materials and leading in sustainable agricultural innovation.

These important changes facilitated the companies to widen their portfolios, to bolster their competitiveness, and to exploit the possibilities for growth available in the Europe Insect Protein Market. This phenomenon is likely to persist since most companies are struggling to outperform their rivals in the market.

Europe Insect Protein Market Competitive Landscape

The Europe Insect Protein Market is highly competitive, with a large number of product providers in Europe. Some of the key players in the market include:

• Protix B.V.
• Ynsect
• Entomo Farms
• Hexafly
• AgriProtein
• Beta Hatch
• EnterraCorp
• Bugsolutely Ltd
• InnovaFeed
• Protenga
• EntoCube Ltd
• Bühler AG
• Enviroflight
• entomo Agroindustrial
• Symton Black Soldier Fly
• Others

These firms apply a sequence of strategies to enter the market, including innovations, mergers and acquisitions, as well as collaboration.

The Europe Insect Protein Market is led by Protix, Ynsect, Innovafeed, Entomo Farms, and NextProtein, who are all leaders in insect-based sustainable protein solutions such as mealworms, crickets, and black soldier flies. They are the ones who are catering to the food security demands and reducing the environmental footprint of traditional protein supplies. Their efforts align with the EU Farm to Fork Strategy for food systems that are sustainable.

Incentivizing regulatory measures boosted market growth. In 2022 and 2023, the European Commission granted approval to insects such as yellow mealworm and house cricket for human food. The European Commission approved UV-treated yellow mealworm powder as a new food in January 2025, according to the official EU food safety website These approvals opened up possibilities for human food, animal feed, and pet food industries to innovate

The industry is reacting with large-scale investment. Ynsect, for instance, doubled the size of its Amiens, France vertical farm, and Innovafeed aligned itself with agri-giants to add insect protein to feed. Protix constructed complete-circle insect farms, converting food waste to protein. This is reinforced by policy and investment, making Europe a world leader in insect protein development.

The Europe Insect Protein Market is segmented as follows:

By Product

• Coleoptera
• Lepidoptera
• Hymenoptera
• Orthoptera
• Hemiptera
• Diptera 

By Application

• Food and Beverages
• Personal Care
• Cosmetics

Regional Coverage:

Europe

• Germany
• France
• U.K.
• Russia
• Italy
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Rest of Europe