Rethink Priorities poll: US attitudes towards insects
This research is a project of Rethink Priorities. This report was written by Neil Dullaghan, Peter Wildeford, and David Moss. Full version of the report can be viewed here.
Summary
Rethink Priorities conducted a US national poll of 4,446 Americans, adjusted to match a US nationally representative likely voter electorate by weighing on race, age, gender, education, income, socioeconomic status, region, 2016 Presidential vote, and religious attitudes. The raw margin of error is +/-2 points with 95% confidence.
- A significant share of Americans are uncertain (24%-45% don’t know) about their attitudes toward insect farming. This suggests that consumers may be particularly responsive to information on insect farming and that these views are largely “up for grabs”. There may be a large first mover advantage to whomever first ends up informing consumers most clearly.
- More Americans oppose a ballot measure to ban insect feed for farmed animals (49%) than support it (29%)
- We did find high levels of support (52%-65%) for the idea that insects (honeybees, ants, termites) were capable of feeling pain.
Rethink Priorities is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)3 policy think tank that does polling and policy analysis. Rethink Priorities is not funded by any candidate or political party committee and does not poll on behalf of any political candidate or party.
If you like our work, please consider subscribing to our newsletter. You can also read more about our projects and work here.
