Commercial insect farming is growing rapidly and developing welfare standards for insect production is an emerging area with significant ethical implications.
The welfare of farmed insects is genuinely uncertain but the scale of production means even small probabilities of sentience generate large expected welfare impacts. Developing welfare standards that apply precautionary principles while acknowledging uncertainty is the appropriate response. Improving killing methods, optimising rearing conditions, and conducting research into insect welfare responses allows the sector to develop more responsibly as it grows.