Evidence for pain and negative affective states in invertebrates is growing, with implications for pest control, farming and research use of billions of animals.
The welfare implications of growing invertebrate pain evidence are profound given the scale of their use and killing. Billions of insects are killed in agriculture, pest control and research. If insects are capable of negative affective states, current practices involve suffering on an extraordinary scale. For decapod crustaceans, where the sentience case is stronger, welfare consideration is now legally required in the UK. Applying the precautionary principle to insects, while acknowledging uncertainty, would drive significant improvements in how pest management and insect farming are conducted.