Synopsis: Although two billion people already eat insects in the world, these ‘green’Ìý sources of protein are not incorporated into Western diets. Insect protein is healthy, Ìýnutritionally valuable, has great potential as a component of urban circular systems of foodÌý waste management and Western uptake could mitigate potential declines in entomophagyÌý in other markets. Tilly will talk about some of the opportunities (and barriers) that mayÌý support integration of insect protein as a more widespread conventional food product inÌý the west. This work has its roots in the MSc thesis projects of the ‘Eat Ento’ IDE team* andÌý of Pauline Vaskou, now Corporate Sustainability Manager at Tesco PLC. A school-basedÌý investigation surveying >150 London children, aged 6 to 15, and >100 of their parents andÌý an online consumer survey with over 1000 mainly British and French consumers, haveÌý given some insights into the potential for this market in the West. This work supports theÌý idea that incorporating insect food into our diets makes not only environmental but alsoÌý business sense. Young children and pre-teens could represent a substantial marketÌý segment, though this is as yet unexplored. Multiple marketing strategies, such asÌý education, reducing the visibility of insect parts or peer-to-peer marketing would facilitateÌý the adoption of insect food in the ‘mainstream’ arena. *
Bio: Tilly Collins is a Senior Fellow in the CEP with wide interestsÌý and an appetite for life (including insects). After a lively 10 yearsÌý in fashion and event management, she re-trained as anÌý entomologist and now oversees teaching of the quantitativeÌý skills and ecology in the MSc programme. She publishes inÌý several fields and has an increasing interest in the decision-Ìý making that will make green spaces in urban areas moreÌý sustainable and valued for their many benefits. For the past sixÌý years she has also been part of John ²Ñ³Ü³¾´Ú´Ç°ù»å’s RiskÌý Management Team contributing to field data flow andÌý management and analysis for .