Insect populations are in global decline. Agricultural practices including pesticide use and habitat loss drive this decline, with significant welfare and ecosystem consequences.
Wild insect welfare encompasses both the welfare of individual insects and the ecosystem welfare impacts of insect population collapse. The evidence for insect sentience is uncertain — insects have small, simple nervous systems compared to vertebrates, but some behavioral research suggests they may experience aversive states. At the population level, the welfare implications are clear: insect decline causes cascading suffering for the vertebrates who depend on them as food sources, including birds, bats, fish, and reptiles whose populations collapse when insect prey disappears. Agricultural practices that reduce pesticide use and restore insect habitat are welfare-positive for a vast range of species beyond insects themselves.