Cricket farming is growing globally as a sustainable protein source, raising emerging welfare questions about rearing density, environmental conditions and slaughter methods.
Cricket welfare science is at its earliest stages. The evidence for sentience in crickets is weaker than for bees or decapods, but the enormous numbers involved - billions of crickets farmed globally - means that even small per-animal welfare improvements would have enormous aggregate effect if these animals are sentient. Applying precautionary welfare principles to rearing conditions, stocking density and slaughter method is rational given this uncertainty.