Food System Transitions and Animal Welfare Outcomes

Transitioning global food systems toward more plant-based diets would be the most impactful intervention for animal welfare - understanding the drivers and barriers to this transition guides effective advocacy.

Key Facts

Approximately 80 billion land animals and potentially trillions of fish are killed for food annually worldwide
Plant-based foods require significantly less land and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than animal products
Global meat consumption is projected to increase by 70% by 2050 driven by developing country growth
Dietary shift in high-income countries has been modest despite years of advocacy and education
Structural factors including price, availability and social norms influence food choices more than information campaigns
Alternative proteins including plant-based meat and cultivated meat are experiencing rapid technology development
Policy interventions including taxation, subsidies and institutional procurement can accelerate dietary transitions

Welfare Considerations

Food system transitions represent the highest-leverage pathway to improved animal welfare at scale. Individual dietary change matters but is insufficient alone - systemic change through policy, investment and industry transformation is required. Effective welfare advocacy combines individual behaviour change campaigns with policy engagement, corporate campaigning and support for alternative protein development. Research on behavioural interventions shows that default menu changes in institutions have larger impacts than information alone. The welfare case for transition is overwhelming and aligns with environmental and public health goals, creating coalition opportunities.

What You Can Do

Reduce personal consumption of animal products, particularly factory-farmed products
Support policy advocacy for agricultural subsidy reform that levels the playing field for plant-based foods
Try plant-based alternatives and provide market feedback to companies developing them
Advocate for plant-forward default options in workplaces, schools and hospitals
Support alternative protein research organisations working on cultivated meat and fermentation