Determinants of the Intention to Consume Edible Insects in Brazil

ABSTRACT Entomophagy has grown in interest as an alternative source of protein that could complement future demand for meat products. As a novel food, there are still many barriers to the adoption in western countries. Based on three models, the Theory of Planned Behavior, Expectancy Value and SPARTA, a new model is proposed. It considers key factors that could most influence consumers about their intentions, rejection and determinant behaviors regarding the extent insects such as crickets and cricket protein could replace animal protein in Brazil. Data from a sample of 404 respondents was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results reveal the positive influence of the perceived Behavioral Control and the negative influence of Subjective Norm as the main determinants of the intention to consume insects. The theoretical contribution of the research was the construction of a comprehensive and replicable converged behavioral model for application in the food innovation sector.