As insect farming scales up, welfare organizations are developing preliminary standards for humane insect management despite significant scientific uncertainty about sentience.
The precautionary welfare approach to insect farming recognizes that even a low probability of sentience, multiplied by trillions of individual animals, generates enormous expected welfare value from protective measures. Developing insect welfare standards now, as the industry expands rapidly, prevents locking in practices that may be recognized as harmful as evidence accumulates. Early standard-setting is more welfare-positive than waiting for certainty.