As insect farming grows for food and feed, the question of humane slaughter becomes increasingly important.
The welfare status of farmed insects is genuinely uncertain but the scale of farming — billions of animals — means even a small probability of suffering has enormous moral weight. Some researchers advocate for a precautionary approach: developing the most rapid killing methods to minimize potential suffering. Freezing may be slower than heat killing. High-temperature killing by boiling may be rapid but is difficult to standardize. CO2 killing may cause distress before unconsciousness. The growing insect farming industry has an opportunity to set welfare standards proactively rather than waiting for regulatory mandates.