Impact of covid-19 pandemic on willingness to consume insect-based food products in Catalonia

Abstract

Edible insects are among the novel sustainable sources of protein in the West. The impact of COVID-19 on the willingness to consume (WTC) jam and yogurt enriched with insect ingredients was analyzed. A questionnaire was applied using the Qualtrics© consumer panel. The multinomial logit (MNL) model was used to analyze the determinant factors affecting consumers’ WTC the insect-based products. Results showed that the outbreak of COVID-19 caused a significant decrease in the WTC. Consumers who strictly followed the regulations during the confinement and are well informed about symptoms were more likely to reject the consumption of the insect-based products. Both before and during the lockdown, results showed that young and employed consumers, with low-income level, who consider the environmental impact of their food choices are prone to consume the products with insect protein. Findings also revealed that the COVID-19 outbreak decreased the heterogeneity of WTC between males and females.