Citation: Ranga, L.; Noci, F.; Vale, A.P.; Dermiki, M. Insect-Based Feed Acceptance amongst Consumers and Farmers in Ireland: A Pilot Study. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11006. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su151411006 Academic Editor: Dimitris Skalkos Received: 17 June 2023 Revised: 5 July 2023 Accepted: 12 July 2023 Published: 13 July 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). sustainability Article Insect-Based Feed Acceptance amongst Consumers and Farmers in Ireland: A Pilot Study Leocardia Ranga 1 , Francesco Noci 2 , Ana P. Vale 3 and Maria Dermiki 1, * 1 Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences, Atlantic Technological University, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland; leocardia.ranga@research.atu.ie 2 Department of Sports Exercise and Nutrition, Atlantic Technological University, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland; francesco.noci@atu.ie 3 UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; ana.vale@ucd.ie * Correspondence: maria.dermiki@atu.ie Abstract: The potential of insect-based feed (IBF) as a sustainable alternative to conventional animal feed is widely reported, yet there is extremely limited information on its acceptance in Ireland, a country with a strong farming background. Therefore, this study aims to provide baseline data on factors affecting acceptance of IBF amongst a segment of consumers and farmers in Ireland. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected amongst 233 consumers, 73 of which were farmers. Non-parametric statistical tests revealed that the willingness to consume foods from animals fed with IBF depends on the type of food and is affected by a combination of consumer- and product-related factors. Consumers’ age, gender, diet, and education level, the foods’ packaging information, safety, and price, and whether insects are part of an animal’s natural diet or environmentally friendly had a significant effect. Safety concern regarding use of IBF was the main factor affecting farmers’ willingness to use it. Qualitative findings revealed concerns emanating from the bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak and a general need for more information. Accordingly, information on the benefits of using IBF increased its acceptance. Thus, IBF acceptance might depend on dedicated educational interventions which include addressing the safety aspect of the feed even among those with higher level of education. Keywords: insects; animal feed; insect meal; sustainability; consumer acceptance 1. Introduction As the production of livestock and aquaculture (with the exception of algae) con- tinue to increase worldwide to meet growing consumer demands, so is the use of animal feed ingredients [1,2]. The production of animal feed, however, is currently exploiting approximately a third of global arable land, adding pressure to land and water resources, which, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are now at a “breaking point” [3]. Moreover, life cycle assessments (LCAs) conducted on several fish [4–6] and livestock [7–9] farming systems identified feed as being one of the major contributors to negative environmental impact of these systems. Animal feed (for both livestock and fed aquaculture species) is also reportedly responsible for the largest share of farming costs [1,2,10] as its demand continues to increase along with increased production [1,2]. Thus, methods to improve the sustainability of animal production con- tinue being explored. To support this process, the European Commission (EC), as part of the European Union’s (EU) green deal [11] Farm-to-Fork strategy [12], pledged to facilitate the approval of new sustainable feed alternatives for use on animals in the region [12]. Accordingly, the EC approved the use of processed insect protein in the feed given to aquaculture species [13], pigs, and poultry [14], after being risk assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel [15]. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11006. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411006 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability