Emerging technologies, changing diets, and expanding moral circles offer genuine reasons for optimism about the trajectory of animal welfare.
The arc of history bends toward expanded moral consideration. Every major welfare reform — the end of bear baiting, the end of most factory farm practices in the EU, the end of cosmetics testing in dozens of countries — was once considered impossible before it happened. Technology is now creating alternatives to animal use at scale. The generation entering adulthood today expresses more concern for animal welfare than any previous generation. Genuine hope is warranted alongside continued effort.