The Role of Environmental Values, Beliefs and Norms in Consumer Acceptance of Edible Insects: : An Exploratory Study of Sweden and Finland

This quantitative study investigates the environmental and psychological determinants of consumers’ willingness to consume edible insects in Sweden and Finland. Utilising an extended and combined approach to Value Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and Construal Level Theory (CLT), the study assesses the impact of environmental values, beliefs and norms along with varying cognitive message framing (i.e. abstract “why” vs. concrete “how”) on the intention to consume insects. A sample of 1001 survey participants (Sweden n = 500; Finland n = 501) was analysed using regression models. Results indicate that although pro-environmental values (mainly biospheric and altruistic) showed moderate positive associations with willingness to consume, a stronger negative effect was created by food neophobia. The Finnish sample exhibited slightly more neophobia and was less willing to consume insects compared with the Swedish sample, although no significant country-level differences were detected. Prior experience with insect consumption emerged as the most significant positive predictor, outweighing the theoretical variables. Although individuals with high construal level (+1 standard deviation) reported more willingness to consume insects, message framing did not have a significant effect on willingness either independently or as a moderator factor. These findings suggest that while environmental values play a role, emotional and experiential factors, such as familiarity and disgust, are more influential in shaping consumption intention. This study confirms that strategies to promote edible insect consumption must go beyond appealing to consumers’ environmental concerns.