Insect farming is expanding rapidly as a sustainable protein source. The welfare status of farmed insects remains genuinely uncertain, but the precautionary principle suggests attention to their treatment.
The welfare significance of insect farming depends fundamentally on whether insects are sentient — a question that remains genuinely open. The nociceptive systems of insects are structurally different from vertebrates, but behavioural responses to harmful stimuli are documented. A precautionary approach suggests that if rapid, low-cost improvements in killing methods are available, they should be adopted regardless of certainty on sentience.