Animal Welfare in the 21st Century: Looking Forward

The trajectory of animal welfare improvement in the 21st century will be shaped by science, technology, policy, and shifting public values.

Key Facts

Cellular agriculture and precision fermentation could reduce farmed animal populations by billions
AI-assisted welfare monitoring will transform detection and response to welfare problems
Climate change will remain the largest systemic threat to wildlife welfare globally
The moral circle is likely to continue expanding as sentience evidence grows
Youth surveys show growing concern for animal welfare as a value among younger generations

Welfare Considerations

The 21st century offers both unprecedented threats and unprecedented opportunities for animal welfare. Climate change threatens wild animal welfare at global scale while precision fermentation and cellular agriculture may eventually transform the need for farmed animal production. AI monitoring and precision livestock farming tools can improve welfare in existing systems. The combination of growing evidence for animal sentience, shifting consumer values, and technological change creates conditions for welfare progress at scales not previously achievable. The direction of that progress will be shaped by the choices of advocates, scientists, policymakers, and consumers today.

What You Can Do

Stay informed about advances in cellular agriculture and their welfare implications
Support AI welfare monitoring research and its application in farming contexts
Engage with young people about animal welfare to build the next generation of advocates
Donate to organizations working on the transformative welfare interventions of the future
Maintain optimism about welfare progress while sustaining urgency about present suffering