Science and Policy

Comparing Animal Suffering: Scale and Priority

Effective animal welfare advocacy requires comparing welfare harms across species and contexts to prioritize where action will reduce the most suffering.

Key Facts

Welfare Considerations

The scale of animal suffering is enormous and action resources are limited. Prioritizing welfare improvements requires honest assessment of the number of animals affected, the severity of suffering, and the tractability of intervention. Farm animal welfare improvements, particularly for the billions of fish and poultry affected, may offer the highest returns on advocacy investment. Wild animal welfare represents a longer-term and more complex frontier.

What You Can Do