Research into insect welfare has accelerated dramatically as insect farming scales globally. Understanding what current science can and cannot tell us about insect experience is essential for evidence-based welfare policy.
Insect welfare research is in an early but rapidly developing phase. The moral uncertainty around insect experience is genuine and cannot be resolved by simply assuming insects cannot suffer or by assuming they do. The appropriate response to genuine uncertainty, especially at the enormous scale of insect farming, is precautionary - implementing welfare improvements that are low-cost relative to the potential suffering prevented. Current welfare improvements being researched and implemented include rapid-kill slaughter methods, environmental enrichment, appropriate temperature and humidity management, and reduced stocking densities. The field faces the challenge of developing welfare indicators that do not require inference of subjective experience, but can identify conditions associated with physiological stress.