Legitimizing Edible Insects for Human Consumption: The Impacts of Trust, Risk–Benefit, and Purchase Activism

Given the increasing global population, the world cannot support the current food production techniques and their detrimental effects on land use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and long-term sustainability issues. A key answer lies in the nature-based solution (NBS) of edible insects. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to explore the effects of regulator trust, perceived risk, and benefits on purchase activism and intent with relation to a new NBS to the food and sustainability crisis: edible insect foods. This research is grounded in the legitimacy process model. Results support the legitimacy process model and that customers use both risk and benefits in their analysis of supporting novel food products and purchase activism. The results of the study provide important theoretical support and managerial implications to this important NBS affecting the global population.