Exploring innovative food in a developing country: Edible insects as a sustainable option

Today's consumers are becoming more aware of what they eat and the benefits that a healthy diet can provide. Edible insects (EIs) have recently been proposed as a sustainable, protein-rich alternative food source. Consumers' adoption of insects as part of their diet may be influenced by their awareness of this source of food. In this context, the current study investigated the level of knowledge about EI in a developing country, with the goal of understanding how Lebanese people perceive EI as food, as well as whether there are any sociodemographic or socioeconomic differences in their knowledge and motivation to accept EI as food. This was a cross-sectional study conducted using a questionnaire survey of 357 Lebanese participants. Basic descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, which were supplemented with statistical tests such as ANOVA for comparisons between three or more groups with post hoc to examine any group differences and Cronbach's alpha to assess internal scale reliability. The search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics showed significant differences between age groups and levels of education. Additionally, the results showed that the items used to assess the EI dimensions scale have a very high internal consistency, with the lowest being nutritional aspects (alpha = 0.669) and the highest being health effects (alpha = 0.797). This work is relevant because it highlights the EI food dimensions that influence people's acceptance in Lebanon, which is facing social and economic crises while highlighting many age inequalities and education level differences. Based on the findings, individual EI dimensions were discovered, allowing for strategies deployment to effectively improve knowledge and eventually respond to a Sustainable Development Goal objective even in a nation where this is not a traditional practice.