Innovating out of the fishmeal trap: The role of insect-based fish feed in consumers’ preferences for fish attributes
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 7 August 2018
Issue publication date: 20 September 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential market impacts of the use of insect-based protein for fish feed as an innovative approach out of the fish-meal trap.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was used to elicit information on fish consumption choices among 610 German consumers using a discrete choice experiment. Mixed logit and latent class logit models were used to model consumers’ preference heterogeneity.
Findings
Results show that consumers’ preferences for fish attributes such as filets, freshness, ecolabelling and domestic production are heterogeneous and important in consumption choices. The minor share of the respondents is sensitive, while the remaining is indifferent regarding the use of insect based protein as feed in trout production. For this sensitive segment, consumption would be expected to be reduced unless the price is reduced or other attributes such as convenience aspects are improved.
Research limitations/implications
The implication is that firms can substitute without a significant impact on the market demand given that the majority of consumers are indifferent regarding feed sources for trout production. As a result, it provides an innovative way to ensure sustainable use of resources and reduces the threat of fish meal trap while reducing pressure on the already over-exploited marine life.
Originality/value
The results provide first insights into the market impact of using insects in the animal protein value chain. It is important especially with Europe’s recent lift of the ban on using insect-based protein in the animal food industry.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is made as work under the RobustFish project. RobustFish is part of the Organic RDD 2 program, which is coordinated by the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS). It has received grants from the Green Growth and Development program (GUDP) under the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (J.nr. 34009-13-0677). We acknowledge Rasmus Nielsen and Tobias Lasner for respectively helping in the focus group discussions in Denmark and Germany.
Citation
Ankamah-Yeboah, I., Jacobsen, J.B. and Olsen, S.B. (2018), "Innovating out of the fishmeal trap: The role of insect-based fish feed in consumers’ preferences for fish attributes", British Food Journal, Vol. 120 No. 10, pp. 2395-2410. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-11-2017-0604
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited