Insect farming is growing rapidly as a sustainable protein source, raising novel welfare questions about the capacity of insects to suffer and appropriate husbandry standards.
Insect farming welfare occupies an intellectually honest position of genuine uncertainty. Unlike vertebrate farming where sentience is well established, insect neuroscience reveals simpler but not absent nociceptive systems. The scale of insect farming - billions to trillions of individuals - means that even a modest probability of suffering represents enormous expected welfare impact. Responsible insect farming requires engagement with the precautionary principle: minimizing potentially painful experiences in rearing and killing even before scientific certainty is achieved. The field is at a critical developmental stage where welfare standards established now will shape an enormous and growing industry.