Recently, our Animal Welfare Team at Rethink Priorities has been deeply engaged in refining our strategic direction, carefully evaluating where we can create the most meaningful change for animals. One important improvement we plan to make is to provide even greater support to funders, organizations, policymakers, and individuals interested in advancing animal welfare.
With two posts now live, we’re excited to announce the launch of RP Strategic Animal Insights, our new substack designed to bridge the gap between rigorous research and practical application, delivering relevant, actionable insights in an accessible format.
Who should read RP Strategic Animal Insights
Our Substack is designed for anyone working to create meaningful change for animals:
- Animal advocates and organizations seeking emerging research and actionable insights to drive results
- Policymakers who need analyses of evidence-based interventions around animal welfare and food systems to inform decision-making
- Funders and philanthropists evaluating where to allocate resources to reduce animal suffering
- Researchers and academics interested in neglected frontiers and emerging opportunities in animal welfare
- Individuals looking to make more informed choices for animals in their personal and professional lives
What to expect from our content
We aim to deliver:
- Evidence-based analyses that identify neglected frontiers in animal welfare
- Rigorous forecasts about emerging trends and future developments
- Strategic evaluations of intervention opportunities and their potential impact
- Deep dives into overlooked animal populations and welfare considerations
- Policy landscape assessments and frameworks for decision-making that maximize welfare impacts
- Translation of complex research into practical insights for advocates, funders, and policymakers
- Collaborative opportunity highlights to connect readers with impactful projects and partnerships
Recent posts
The Future of Farmed Animals: A 2033 Forecast
Our first post offers a concerning projection: by 2033, we could see nearly 6 trillion farmed animals slaughtered annually—a potential fourfold increase from today. In this scenario, the largest growth is expected to come from invertebrates, with insect farming estimated to surge by over 900%.
Strategic Plant-Based Transitions: Case Studies in Corporate and Institutional Success
Our second post features a collection of case studies examining initiatives aimed at increasing plant-based consumption. The research distills actionable frameworks that have been effective in different contexts—from major retailers to municipal food services—showing how advocates and policymakers can approach food transition programs.
Join us
We hope you’ll consider subscribing to RP Strategic Animal Insights. If you have any topics you’d like to see us explore or feedback on our efforts, please leave a comment via this form.
We also hope you’ll join us for our upcoming webinar (tomorrow -> May 28, 2025), Including Animal and AI Welfare in AI Alignment with Adrià Moret, a philosophy researcher at the Centre for Animal Ethics at the University Pompeu Fabra, the University of Barcelona, and Editor-in-Chief of Animal Ethics Review.
During the webinar, Moret will speak about:
- Why including basic concern for nonhuman welfare when aligning frontier AI systems is important
- How AI labs can do this with existing AI alignment techniques
- Concrete, actionable steps that animal advocates and technical professionals can take to advance this goal
The 20-minute presentation will be followed by an extended Q&A session.
As always, thank you for your continued support!
