How precision fermentation technologies could reduce animal use in food production and their welfare implications.
Precision fermentation represents one of the most promising technological pathways to reducing animal suffering at scale. By producing animal proteins without animal farming, it offers an alternative that could displace some of the most welfare-compromised production systems if consumer adoption is sufficient. The welfare impact depends entirely on uptake — technologies that remain niche have limited effect on total animal suffering. From a welfare perspective, supporting the development, regulatory approval, and consumer acceptance of these products is one of the most forward-looking investments available.