Looking Back and Forward on Animal Welfare Progress

The animal welfare movement has made significant progress — honest accounting of achievements and remaining challenges.

Key Facts

Battery cages for hens have been banned in the EU and many US states since movement efforts began
The global alternative protein market has grown from near zero to tens of billions of dollars
Animal sentience is now legally recognized in many countries that had no such recognition 30 years ago
Factory farming of animals is declining in some high-income countries while growing globally

Welfare Considerations

Animal welfare advocates have achieved remarkable progress over several decades. Battery cage bans in the EU, corporate welfare commitments covering billions of animals, growing public awareness of farm animal sentience, and the emergence of alternative proteins as viable food system alternatives all represent hard-won progress. At the same time, global factory farming continues to grow as incomes rise in emerging economies, and billions of animals still suffer in conditions far below what welfare science defines as adequate. Honest accounting of both progress and remaining challenges sustains motivated, strategic advocacy.

What You Can Do

Celebrate welfare movement achievements as evidence of what is possible
Engage with both progress and remaining challenges honestly in advocacy
Support organizations with track records of measurable welfare improvement
Sustain long-term commitment to animal welfare as a moral priority worth lifetime engagement