Consumer Segmentation and Gender-Specific Adoption Pathways for Edible Insects: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on food imports, making sustainable protein integration a national priority under Vision 2030. However, large-scale adoption of edible insects remains limited by psychological, cultural, and religious barriers that vary across consumer groups. This study develops a behavioral segmentation framework using a cross-sectional survey of 2208 Saudi adults, representing one of the largest behavioral studies of edible insect adoption in the Saudi context. Three distinct segments emerged from hierarchical cluster analysis: Resistant Rejectors (43.1%), Conditional Adopters (33.0%), and Early Adopters (23.9%). Gender-stratified ordinal logistic regression revealed distinct adoption pathways: among men, willingness was primarily associated with interest in entomophagy (OR = 3.46) and social influence (OR = 2.51); among women, prior consumption experience was the strongest facilitator (OR = 3.07), while religious concern represented the most substantial barrier (OR = 0.15). Acceptance of insects as animal feed was consistently higher than direct consumption across all segments, supporting a three-stage integration model (feed → processed foods → direct consumption) as a culturally pragmatic transition pathway. These findings provide actionable, segment-specific insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and food system innovators.