Emerging research on invertebrate nociception and learning is challenging assumptions about which animals can suffer, with significant implications for animal welfare policy and practice.
If invertebrates experience something functionally similar to pain, the welfare implications are enormous given the billions of insects used in research, food production, and pest control annually. The UK and several other jurisdictions have extended welfare protections to some crustaceans, signaling policy evolution. The precautionary principle suggests that where evidence of sentience exists, welfare protections should follow rather than wait for certainty.