Insect Farming Welfare: Scale and Uncertainty

The rapidly expanding insect farming industry raises welfare questions of extraordinary scale, requiring engagement with deep scientific uncertainty about invertebrate sentience.

Key Facts

Global insect farming produces an estimated 1-10 trillion insects annually for food, feed, and pet food markets
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae are the dominant farmed species, processed at temperatures or by grinding when immature
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae are also widely farmed; the EU approved them for human consumption in 2022
The welfare properties of different killing methods for insects — freezing, gas, heat, electric stunning — are under active research
High CO2 causes aversion in some insect species before unconsciousness; inert gas and rapid chilling show less aversive response
Stocking densities in some insect farms are extraordinarily high — thousands of individuals per square meter
The probability that black soldier fly larvae have morally relevant experiences is scientifically contested; expert opinion varies widely
The scale of the industry means that even a 1% probability of sentience creates enormous expected welfare implications

Welfare Considerations

Insect farming welfare sits at the most challenging intersection of welfare science: enormous scale, deep scientific uncertainty about sentience, and practical decisions about killing methods that affect trillions of individuals. The precautionary principle suggests that even low probability of sentience, combined with trillion-scale production numbers, creates expected welfare harms that justify research investment and precautionary welfare standards. Killing method choice is one area where welfare improvement is achievable without resolving the sentience question: methods that minimize potential suffering (rapid chilling, inert gas) can be preferred over methods that may cause distress (high CO2, heat) as a precautionary welfare measure at modest additional cost. The Insect Welfare Research Society is working to develop the scientific foundation needed for evidence-based welfare standards in this rapidly growing industry.

What You Can Do

Support the Insect Welfare Research Society in funding research on insect sentience and welfare-positive killing methods
Advocate for precautionary welfare standards in insect farming regulations as the science develops
When purchasing insect-based products, prefer companies that have adopted precautionary welfare approaches to killing methods
Engage with the philosophical and scientific debates about invertebrate sentience to develop informed views on insect welfare obligations