As insect farming scales up globally to provide sustainable protein, welfare questions for farmed insects are receiving increased scientific and policy attention.
Insect welfare science is at an early stage, with genuine uncertainty about whether and to what degree insects experience welfare-relevant states. The precautionary principle suggests that given this uncertainty and the enormous numbers of insects farmed, minimising potential suffering costs little relative to the potential welfare benefit. Key areas include stocking density (insects show crowding stress responses), substrate quality affecting health and survival, and killing methods. Research into insect sentience and welfare assessment is accelerating as the industry grows, creating an opportunity to establish welfare standards before problematic practices become entrenched.