ARTICLE 46 F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 ability to empathise with organisms with decreasing similarity to us (similarly to birds, fish and other invertebrates compared to mammals) and with organisms we spend less time with (such as those we do not tend to keep as companions in our homes). This assumption is beginning to change with increased scientific research. For example, a review of evidence for sentience in the invertebrate taxa of cephalopods and decapod crustaceans led to the UK government including these animals in the newly formed Animal Sentience bill. The framework used in this review, specifically focusing on the ability to feel pain, was recently used to review the evidence for pain in insects. Researchers found strong evidence for pain in adult flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites, and substantial evidence in adults of the remaining insect orders (except beetles). They also found substantial evidence for pain in juvenile flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites, butterflies and moths. Although there were significant research gaps, they found no good evidence that any insects failed any of the criteria for pain. With increasing research our understanding of sentience in insects, especially in the more intensely studied species such as bees, continues to grow. An approach widely accepted by scientists and policy makers is the precautionary principle, which dictates that where at least some evidence for the sentience of an animal exists, even if not fully conclusive, precautionary measures should be taken to protect their welfare. This approach advocates for sensible, cost-effective strategies to prevent suffering in animals that may be caused by human interventions. Based on the evidence, we should be adopting the precautionary principle when farming insects. It is not only the scientific evidence of sentience which suggests that we should consider insect welfare. Even in the absence of full scientific consensus, there is growing public concern about the treatment of insects, in both the farming sector and the research sector. Therefore, if insect farming is to be socially acceptable, it should take animal welfare seriously, something beginning to be recognised by the International Platform of Insects as Food and Feed (IPIFF). Insect producers should also care about insect welfare, because improved animal welfare goes hand in hand with improved productivity, for example through reduced mortality, improved health, improved product quality, improved disease resistance and reduced medication, lower risk of zoonoses and foodborne diseases, and higher willingness to pay by consumers, as well as societal benefits such as farmer job satisfaction and contributions to Corporate Social Responsibility. What can insect producers do to ensure good insect welfare? There are open access scientific resources on insect welfare recommendations, for example in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, including papers with welfare considerations for specific species such as the black soldier fly. Such research is continuing to be published. Producers can engage with animal welfare scientists and entomologists, for example through special interest groups, and support insect welfare research through collaboration. Like for other farmed animals, if insects are to be farmed, the facilities they are housed in and the processes need to be designed to insure their wellbeing. With little knowledge around insect wel-
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