Insecticides in agriculture cause widespread suffering to insects, often killing them indiscriminately while failing to provide long-term pest control. This creates a cycle where insects—many of which may already experience net negative lives—face unnecessary harm without clear benefits to ecosystems or farmers. One way to address this could be replacing or supplementing chemical insecticides with physical shielding methods that block pests without lethal measures.

How Physical Shielding Could Work

Instead of killing insects, barriers like nets, screens, or controlled environments (e.g., greenhouses) could prevent pests from reaching crops. Designs might selectively exclude harmful insects while allowing pollinators to pass through. For example:

• Retrofit netting for open-field crops, designed to deter pests without trapping or harming them.
• Modular greenhouse extensions that balance cost and isolation for small farms.

This approach could reduce reliance on insecticides, aligning with insect welfare goals while maintaining crop yields. Farmers might adopt these methods if they prove cost-effective or attract ethically conscious consumers.

Potential Advantages Over Existing Methods

Current alternatives like Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or organic farming still sometimes use lethal controls. Physical shielding could offer clearer welfare benefits by:

• Avoiding insect suffering entirely, unlike organic-approved pesticides (e.g., neem oil).
• Being more scalable than hydroponics, which is often limited to high-value crops.

However, challenges like pest adaptability or higher upfront costs would need testing through small-scale pilots.

Steps to Explore the Idea

A minimal starting point could involve:

1. Prototyping low-cost shielding kits for specific crops (e.g., leafy greens).
2. Partnering with a few farms to compare shielded vs. traditional plots for yield, cost, and insect activity.
3. Surveying consumer interest in "insect-humane" produce to gauge market potential.

If early results are promising, the approach could expand through collaborations with ethical brands or agricultural cooperatives.