The market for edible insects has been growing rapidly in recent years: according to Bloomberg forecasts, by 2027 it will reach $ 4.7 billion, although it was estimated at $ 400 million in 2018. However, not all people are ready to perceive the biological diversity of the Earth as an absolute blessing. According to a poll by YouGov, only 8% of Britons do not feel negative feelings at the sight of various insects and other creeping critters. The most hated were those who could hardly be imagined as food: 22% chose spiders as such, 19% – wasps, 18% – cockroaches and 11% – mosquitoes. However, the top five with 6% of haters also included snails, some species of which are widely consumed in some countries.
Americans fully share the British dislike for insects. According to a OnePoll poll, 39% of US residents hate cockroaches, 37% hate spiders, and 29% hate ants. In contrast to the YouGov survey, here respondents could name several of the most hated species at once. More than a quarter of those surveyed also mentioned mosquitoes, termites and ticks. Seven out of ten Americans admitted that they would not be able to sleep if they knew there were some insects in the room. At the same time, they agree to pay about $ 2 thousand, just to never see insects at home again.
Read the rest of the non-urgent, but curious messages of the outgoing week in the material of Kommersant, Other News .
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