Speciesism — discriminating against beings on the basis of species membership alone — is a central concept in animal welfare philosophy, with implications for how we prioritise welfare across different species and contexts.
Speciesism as a concept challenges the coherence of welfare systems that provide strong protections to dogs and cats while permitting far greater suffering in pigs and chickens whose capacity for suffering is comparable or greater. The inconsistency between companion animal welfare law and farm animal welfare law in most countries is difficult to justify on any grounds other than cultural habit and economic interest. Engaging with speciesism helps welfare advocates identify and challenge the arbitrary distinctions that allow severe suffering to be normalised in some contexts while being condemned in others. The precautionary principle applied consistently across species would dramatically expand the scope of welfare protection.