As insect farming grows rapidly, the development of evidence-based welfare standards for farmed insects is an urgent scientific and ethical priority.
The scale of insect farming means that even a small probability of individual suffering aggregates to enormous numbers. Developing welfare standards requires first establishing what conditions cause suffering and what markers indicate welfare compromise. Standards based on precautionary principles that minimize likely suffering while allowing the industry to develop are more protective than waiting for certainty that may take decades to achieve.