Insect farming is growing as a sustainable protein source, but the welfare status of farmed insects requires consideration as the industry scales.
The welfare status of farmed insects remains scientifically uncertain. If insects have any capacity for suffering, the scale of insect farming - billions of individuals daily - creates enormous potential for aggregate welfare impact. High-temperature killing methods that cause rapid loss of consciousness are precautionarily preferable to freezing, which may cause prolonged distress. Crowding at extreme densities may create welfare problems if insects have any capacity for distress from conspecific competition. The precautionary principle applied to insect welfare suggests implementing minimum welfare standards as the industry grows, while continuing research into their sentience.