Economic analysis of transitions from animal to plant-based protein demonstrates the scale of potential welfare improvement from dietary shifts at population level.
The welfare economics of dietary choices is fundamentally about scale: the number of animals experiencing welfare-relevant conditions is directly determined by demand for animal products. Every reduction in demand for conventionally produced animal products reduces the number of animals in systems causing welfare harm. Individual dietary changes have real though small impact; aggregate impact across populations is substantial. The welfare case for plant-based transitions does not require perfection or immediate complete change. Incremental, sustained shifts in consumption patterns translate directly to reduced animal numbers in welfare-compromising systems. The most cost-effective welfare intervention available to most individuals is dietary change, combined with advocacy for institutional and policy-level transitions that shift systems rather than individual choices.