Welfare Science

Insect Welfare in Mass Rearing

As insect farming scales up globally, welfare questions about the capacity of farmed insects to suffer are increasingly urgent.

Key Facts

Over 1 trillion insects are farmed annually worldwide for food, feed, and other products
Insects show nociception and avoidance learning, suggesting capacity to experience aversive states
Killing methods for insects vary from freezing to grinding, with welfare implications unclear
The EU Novel Food Regulation now requires welfare considerations for farmed insects
Researchers have proposed minimum welfare standards for insect rearing based on precautionary principles

Welfare Considerations

Insect welfare in mass rearing operates in a zone of scientific uncertainty. Given the precautionary principle and the enormous scale of insect farming, investing in welfare research and minimum standards is justified.

What You Can Do

Support research into insect sentience and welfare indicators in farming contexts
Engage with the insect welfare debate in novel food and feed policy
Choose insect products from producers committed to welfare research and improvement
Advocate for welfare standards to be incorporated into insect farming regulations
Learn about the emerging science of invertebrate sentience and its welfare implications