Veganism — avoiding all animal products — is motivated significantly by animal welfare concerns and represents one of the most consistent personal welfare commitments an individual can make, with growing scientific support for its health and environmental benefits.
Veganism addresses animal welfare concerns at their source by removing demand for products that cause animal suffering. The welfare case for veganism is compelling: every individual who adopts a vegan diet reduces their lifetime demand for animal products by a significant amount, contributing to a market signal that affects production volumes over time. The welfare impact is not zero — some plant agriculture harms animals through harvest, pesticide use and habitat conversion — but is dramatically lower than omnivore diets by any reasonable welfare metric. Veganism also has the advantage of consistency: rather than making complex judgements about which animal products to consume, it provides a clear ethical framework that is easier to apply in practice.