Insect farming is growing rapidly as a sustainable protein source. Developing welfare frameworks for farmed insects is a novel challenge given uncertainty about insect sentience.
Insect farming welfare presents a genuine philosophical and practical challenge. The scale of production - trillions of animals - means even small probabilities of suffering matter enormously at aggregate level. While proof of insect sentience remains elusive, the precautionary approach adopted for decapod crustaceans - requiring welfare consideration in conditions of uncertainty - may reasonably be extended to insects. Investing in research on insect nociception and developing evidence-based welfare standards now, before the industry scales further, is the responsible approach given what is at stake.