Alternative Proteins and Animal Welfare — An Overview

Plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated meat technologies offer the potential to dramatically reduce animal suffering in the food system.

Key Facts

The plant-based meat market grew 45% globally between 2019 and 2022
Cultivated meat received its first commercial regulatory approval in Singapore in 2020
Precision fermentation produces animal proteins without animals using microbial hosts
Over 350 startups are working on alternative protein products globally
Displacing 10% of conventional meat with alternatives would avoid billions of animal lives in poor conditions

Welfare Considerations

Alternative proteins represent the most scalable long-term solution to factory farming's welfare harms. Plant-based products already achieve significant displacement of conventional meat in some categories. Cultivated meat — grown from cell cultures rather than live animals — could eventually eliminate the need to farm animals for meat entirely. Fermentation-derived dairy proteins are already competitive in some product categories. Supporting the growth of these industries is one of the highest-leverage welfare actions available.

What You Can Do

Try plant-based alternatives to conventional meat and dairy in your regular diet
Support policy frameworks that allow cultivated meat regulatory approval in your country
Donate to organisations accelerating alternative protein research and development
Advocate for public research funding for plant-based and cellular agriculture innovation