Farm Animals

Farmed Insect Welfare at Scale

As insect farming grows, questions about the welfare of the billions of insects farmed for food and feed have become increasingly urgent.

Key Facts

The global insect farming industry produces millions of tonnes of product annually
Black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, and crickets are the primary farmed species
Evidence for insect sentience and pain capacity is growing but remains incomplete
Overcrowding, temperature extremes, and harvesting methods are welfare concerns
Welfare standards for farmed insects are in early development globally

Welfare Considerations

Even if the probability that individual insects experience suffering is low, the enormous numbers farmed means the expected welfare impact is large. A precautionary approach suggests developing and adopting welfare standards for insect farming now, before the industry scales further.

What You Can Do

Support research into insect sentience and welfare
Advocate for inclusion of insect welfare in farmed insect certification
Choose insect products from producers transparent about their welfare practices