Are invertebrates such as insects sentient, and if yes, what can we do to improve their welfare? This presentation discusses recent findings about insect neurobiology and consciousness and deals with general ethical issues of population ethics and wild animal suffering as well as specific issues in agriculture and food production (e.g. insect meat, bee colony collapse, insecticides). Invertebrate suffering is possibly the biggest kind of animal suffering that is most neglected by animal rights activists, and researching insect welfare biology may generate highly impactful opportunities to improve welfare on earth.