Desert and migratory locusts form massive swarms affecting millions of people, with control operations raising complex welfare questions about insect suffering at scale.
The welfare implications of locust control operations depend fundamentally on whether locusts experience suffering, which remains uncertain. Chemical pesticides cause rapid death but may involve brief suffering. The scale of control operations - billions of insects - means even small probabilities of suffering matter under a precautionary framework. Biological controls using pathogens cause slower death but avoid chemical residues. The welfare interests of people and wildlife whose food security is threatened by locust swarms must also be considered.