Over 60 billion land-dwelling animals are killed each year. The overwhelming majority of these animals are raised in factory farms, where conditions can involve “intense confinement, inhibition of natural behaviors, untreated health issues, and numerous other causes of suffering” (Reese 2016). Although it is difficult to quantify farmed animal welfare, a variety of considerations suggest that the lives of many of these animals are net-negative (Tomasik 2007; Norwood & Lusk 2011).

There are a number of different promising ways to reduce consumption of animal products (Open Philanthropy Project 2013). First, online adverts and leafleting campaigns may encourage people to take up a vegetarian or vegan diet, saving between 1 and 46 animals for each $1 donated (Animal Charity Evaluators 2016). Second, developing animal product alternatives can make it easier for individuals to reduce their consumption of animal products (Open Philanthropy Project 2015). Third, corporate campaigns can help to change conditions in large factory farms. The Open Philanthropy Project estimates that corporate cage-free campaigns have spared about 250 hens a year of confinement in a cage per each dollar spent. They also claim that the cost-effectiveness of these campaigns is higher than any of the other approaches they have investigated (Bollard 2016).

Bibliography

Bollard, Lewis (2016) Initial grants to support corporate cage-free reforms, Open Philanthropy, March 31.
A report estimating the cost-effectiveness of corporate cage-free reforms.

MacAskill, William & Darius Meissner (2020) Cause prioritization: Farm animal welfare, in 'Acting on utilitarianism', Utilitarianism.

Norwood, F. Bailey & Jayson L. Lusk (2011) Compassion, by the Pound: The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare, New York: Oxford University Press.
An attempt to apply economic principles to illuminate various moral and practical issues surounding farm animals.

Open Philanthropy (2013) Treatment of animals in industrial agriculture, Open Philanthropy, September.
An overview of possible interventions to address the harms associated to factory farming.

Open Philanthropy (2015) Animal product alternatives, Open Philanthropy, December.
An investigation of animal product alternatives as a possible intervention for reducing animal suffering.

Reese, Jacy (2016) Why animals matter for effective...

Posts

Comments