Global insect populations are declining at alarming rates, with profound consequences for ecosystems and the countless animals that depend on insects for food.
Insect population decline represents a welfare concern at multiple scales. Individual insects face pesticide exposure that causes disorientation, impaired reproduction, and death. At population and ecosystem scales, insect decline collapses food webs that billions of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians depend on — causing starvation-related suffering at massive scale. The insect apocalypse is not merely a conservation abstraction but a driver of widespread animal welfare harm throughout food chains that depend on invertebrate abundance. Reducing pesticide use, restoring habitat diversity, eliminating light pollution, and supporting native plant communities are practical interventions that individual people can implement and advocate for.