Building a More Humane World for Animals: What Works

Evidence-based animal welfare advocacy has identified the most impactful levers for change, from individual action to systemic reform.

Key Facts

Dietary change away from animal products is among the highest-impact individual actions for animal welfare
Corporate campaigns targeting major food companies have achieved welfare commitments affecting hundreds of millions of animals
Government policy change through legislation and regulation delivers the broadest and most durable welfare improvements
Funding effective animal advocacy organizations multiplies individual impact through professional campaigns
Cultivated meat and precision fermentation technology offer long-term potential to eliminate slaughter at scale

Welfare Considerations

The animal welfare movement has learned a great deal about what works. Research by Charity Evaluators, Animal Advocacy Africa, and the Open Philanthropy Project has identified high-impact interventions: corporate campaigns that extract broad commitments from major food companies, policy advocacy that embeds welfare standards in regulation, and funding specialized organizations with demonstrated effectiveness. Individual dietary choices matter and signal market direction, but the highest-leverage actions involve contributing to systemic change through effective organizations, policy engagement, and support for transformative technologies. The cumulative progress is real — billions of animals live in less suffering because of this work.

What You Can Do

Donate to highly effective animal advocacy organizations identified by charity evaluators
Reduce or eliminate animal product consumption starting with the products associated with highest welfare costs
Engage in corporate campaigns targeting companies with welfare commitments they have not yet implemented
Support legislation, ballot initiatives, and regulatory changes that embed welfare standards broadly