Behaviour intention to eat reared crickets in Myanmar

Abstract

Edible insects are a good source of proteins, fats, and micronutrients for human consumption. Crickets are one of the most widely reared insects worldwide. They require less capital spending and less space and water consumption while offering more food, employment, and income possibilities than conventional animal farming. Additionally, raising crickets may aid in achieving various sustainable development objectives. Although crickets are Myanmar's most popular edible insects, a few farmers are presently rearing them. The farming business is not thriving as in other countries mainly because consumers primarily eat crickets collected from the wild. Using the extended theory of planned behaviour, this study identifies factors possibly impacting the intention to eat reared crickets in Myanmar, alongside perceived product quality, consumer knowledge, and trust in value chain actors. Data were collected through telephone interviews, resulting in a valid data set of 212 respondents from Yangon and Mandalay who recently ate crickets collected from the wild. The result of the structural equation modelling revealed that participants are ready to accept reared crickets as a food source. Consumption intention towards reared crickets is directly influenced by consumers' attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and trust in producers. Concurrently, it is indirectly influenced by consumer knowledge of the environmental friendliness of cricket farming. Subjective norms, trust in retailers, and perceived product quality do not significantly affect the intention to eat crickets. As trust in producers is the new main predictive factor, cricket farmers should build public trust by giving transparency in the production process, thereby achieving a more favourable attitude towards reared insects, possibly leading to higher consumption levels.