Cultural perceptions and social norms influencing consumer acceptance of insect-based foods

Purpose This study explores how social norms and cultural perceptions shape consumer behaviour toward insect-based foods in Nigeria. It examines the interplay between cultural heritage, marketing strategies, and policy frameworks in influencing consumer acceptance and situates these findings within global discussions on sustainable protein adoption. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was employed, using 30 semi-structured interviews with Nigerian consumers across rural and urban contexts. Thematic analysis guided the coding process, with attention to descriptive and injunctive norms from Social Norms Theory. Methodological rigour was ensured through validation, coding reliability, and reflexivity. Findings The study found that cultural heritage sustains entomophagy in rural Nigeria, but urbanisation, social stigma, and lack of institutional support undermine broader adoption. Marketing visibility and policy frameworks have the potential to reshape both descriptive norms (“what most people do”) and injunctive norms (“what people approve”), making insects a legitimate and aspirational protein source rather than a marginal or stigmatised practice. Originality/value This study advances research on alternative-protein acceptance by moving beyond individual-level explanations of insect consumption to examine how social norms are constructed and transformed across cultural, market and institutional environments. Drawing on qualitative evidence from Nigeria, the study demonstrates how descriptive norms concerning the visibility and prevalence of insect consumption interact with injunctive norms concerning social approval and legitimacy. It further identifies marketing visibility and institutional endorsement as mechanisms through which contested food practices may be repositioned as legitimate and aspirational forms of sustainable consumption. In doing so, the study extends Social Norms Theory to an underexamined African emerging-market context and develops a multi-level explanation of insect-based food acceptance.