Insect farming is growing rapidly as a sustainable protein alternative, raising important ethical questions about the welfare of farmed insects given scientific uncertainty about their sentience.
Insect welfare occupies a contested middle ground in animal ethics. The Rethink Priorities organization's thorough 2021 review of insect sentience concluded there is meaningful probability (but not certainty) that some insect species have morally relevant experiences. At current and projected farming scales, this uncertainty deserves serious attention. Precautionary welfare principles — minimizing potential suffering even under uncertainty — suggest that killing method, stocking density, and environmental conditions in insect farms warrant careful consideration. The welfare calculus of insect farming compared to vertebrate farming (vastly fewer individuals per unit of protein, likely lower sentience per individual) suggests it may represent a welfare improvement over current animal agriculture at comparable scales.