Farmed Animals
Frontpage

Hey all! First post on here, so we'll see how it goes. I'm choosing to stay anonymous because of my role at a fairly moderately-positioned animal advocacy org, but like many (probably most) of you I'm an abolitionist at heart.

So the question is: What's your theory of change to get to a world without, or at least with much less, animal exploitation?

This question is basically just a continuation of this one on the EA Forum, two years ago. Definitely worth a read, if you haven't already. I wanted to ask this question again though because a) I think it's useful to regularly think about the end goal here, if only for inspiratory purposes; and b) I'd be curious to hear if anyone has any new thoughts since the last post.

I also think we as a movement have gone somewhat astray in that we hardly ever think seriously about the actual world we're trying to create anymore. I'd imagine this is both due to the influence of short-term EA-inspired thinking, as well as just the general non-profit incentives to achieve 1-3 year goals so we can get more funding and self-propagate. But of course, animal liberation requires thinking on much longer time horizons.

I worry that, no matter how fraught with challenges any real plan to bring about animal liberation will necessarily be, it's better to have some plan than to have none. Is it likely we'll be able to bring about some outcome if we haven't seriously planned how to bring it about?

 

Anyways, would be keen to hear anyone's thoughts or links on this. I'd also love to generally see more strategy-type discussions on this Forum. It's still very early, but right now it feels a bit too heavy on the organizational updates and promos side (some of this is certainly good though) and a bit too light on the movement strategy side. This is also probably indicative of a broader challenge in our movement though. 

8

0
0

Reactions

0
0
New Answer
New Comment


2 Answers sorted by

The big problem is that there are so many unknowns. If the world situation regarding animal welfare were much better, I feel like a light at the end of the tunnel could be in sight, but at the moment it's too unclear what the most likely or promising future for animals looks like, even in the medium term. Beyond the short-term, the future becomes increasingly difficult to predict, to the point of impossibility. For as much as I've read, I don't think I have any earthly idea whether or not cultured meat can be a viable replacement for meat, or what the time tables would look like if it could. Nor am I certain to what extent a massive change in public opinion regarding veg*anism is possible. Big changes in moral public opinion have happened in the past, but not usually at great personal cost. In addition, animals cannot fight for their own rights the way lower classes or minority human populations were able to, so the mechanism for moral progress might not apply to animal rights. Moral progress itself might be a whig history illusion caused by a brief period of rapid human development that will end at some point. I also have no idea what effect climate change might have on farmed animals in the long term (not to mention wild animals, for which the most promising theories of change are currently total science fiction). That's not even getting into an AI takeover or a communist revolution or a second coming. 

That said, if I had to put money on it, my victory condition is cultured meat becoming viable enough to render the personal cost of veganism/invitrotarianism low enough to cause a shift in moral values, the way new technology often alters ideology. I'm very skeptical of the time tables of cultured meat, but simply by Churchill's logic my gut tells me it's gotta win out eventually, unless very bioconservative values permanently win out against both brutal efficiency and animal welfare values.

In a similar spirit to GoodHorse413, maybe the answer isn’t that we should have a single TOV, but rather that we should have a rough list of TOVs, know what the crucial considerations are, and incentivize orgs to help answer them. This is kinda like what Tiny Beam Fund does with their Burning Questions, but maybe with a wider scope and more movement buy-in. It also reminds me of the Sustainable Development Goals.

So the "plan" might look like a list of crucial questions, maybe with attached intermediate goals. Funders can decide their priority between different TOVs, direct impact, and different crucial questions. 

Intermediate goals could be attached to a specific TOV (e.g. identify a target demographic that could push us beyond a tipping point if they were to adopt veg*ism), or things that we recognize as broadly useful for increasing the movement's power or conducting more "basic research" (e.g. I hear a lot of folks talking about getting all chickens out of cages, which sounds like a good exercise both to end what is likely one of the most intense instances of suffering and to force ourselves to grapple with the difficulties of change-making in currently neglected geographies).

It seems unlikely to me that the entire movement is going to get behind a unified system like what I am suggesting, but I still feel like if we all trend towards thinking in these terms (and maybe even making our own TOV and crucial considerations lists), then discourse around these concepts may organically develop. 

Sidenote: Thought I would add a link to a mock-up picture I made imagining Sustainable Development Goals for ending factory farming. The idea was a little different from the above (here it was more about driving a sense of joint momentum than TOVs), but thought it relevant enough to share.

Curated and popular this week
 · 6d ago · 1m read
 · 
Hello FAST! We're starting April with great news: new cage-free announcements in Peru! 1- Retail Organa Perú, with 14 locations in Lima Link: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDM2NTMzNTM0NjE5NDQ2?story_media_id=3606499435888748583&igsh=a2hweGMybHp4OGRr Scale: National - Peru Who: Arba Failed tactics: Finding the right person to fine-tune a commitment was the main challenge; it took six months to find the right executives. Successful tactics: Working from the beginning, alluding to their competitor, the Flora y Fauna supermarket. Scalability: This group is a large group and is in the process of opening new locations. Follow-up: We will stay in touch to request reports on its implementation. 2- Eslo Foods Manufacturing Eslo Foods is a manufacturer of vegetarian ingredients and foods distributed in supermarkets and convenience stores, as well as catering to businesses and individuals. Link: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1215790880551157&id=100063607686640&rdid=VPh7pgpQJKGfPLHD# Scale: National - Peru Who: Arba Failed tactics: None Successful tactics: Working from the beginning of conversations with the owners. Scalability: It is a company that continues to grow; the entire family works there. Follow-up: We will stay in touch to request reports on its implementation every 6 months.
 · 5d ago · 3m read
 · 
Compassion in World Farming International is a leading global organisation dedicated to ending factory farming worldwide. We were founded in 1967 by Peter Roberts, a British farmer alarmed by the rise of factory farming. Over the past 50 years, we have made major strides in abolishing inhumane practices such as barren battery cages, veal crates, and sow gestation crates in the UK and Europe.       Our approach involves campaigning, advocacy, and engagement with policymakers at national, intergovernmental, and corporate levels, building a movement of individuals concerned about animal welfare and the health and sustainability of our food. We are driven by a passion for animal welfare and food system change, believing in a future where animals are treated with compassion and respect, and where sustainable farming practices prevail for a healthy planet.       Our international headquarters are in Godalming (UK), with team members in 14 countries on four continents including the US, Italy, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Czechia, China, and a specialist policy office in Brussels. This role is part of the Global Fundraising Directorate of over 50 staff, consisting of Philanthropy, Individual Giving, Legacies, Digital, CRM and Brand teams, based internationally, primarily in the UK (HQ) and our six other fundraising markets in the USA and Europe.      FIND OUT MORE HERE Job Type: Full time; Permanent Location: Godalming, UK (hybrid working pattern 2x days in the office)   Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 (Depending upon skills and experience)    About the Role:   As our Direct Marketing Fundraising Manager, you'll play a key role in driving the success of our fundraising efforts to end factory farming. You will manage and deliver a diverse range of direct marketing campaigns, including Appeals, Raffles, Lotteries, and supporter communications. Your focus will be on engaging, retaining, and acquiring donors to meet ambitious fundraising targets. You'll work acro
 · 3d ago · 2m read
 · 
For two months last year (Oct-Dec) Animal Outlook's investigator worked undercover at Manning Beef, Los Angeles' last remaining cow slaughterhouse. Manning Beef has long been embroiled in controversy notably during a 2021 incident when 40 cows escaped and a 2017 attempt to silence activists through litigation. Our investigator recorded one of the bloodiest and goriest videos in Animal Outlook's 30-year history. Over a two-month period, we found abuses including: * Multiple cows being butchered while showing signs of sensibility to pain  * A downed dairy cow repeatedly shocked with cattle prods after collapsing, then shot in the head three times with a captive bolt gun  * A worker stabbing a cow in the back of the head, then draining the cow's blood by stabbing them in the throat. This cow flailed while being butchered alive.  * A cow vomiting while their face was skinned and being restrained while moving away from the knife  * A cow left on the floor of the slaughterhouse for over half an hour * Extreme operational errors and equipment malfunctions. One cow was dropped head first from the slaughter line onto the concrete floor * Piles of unborn calf fetuses, extracted from pregnant cows sent to slaughter. Animal Outlook has submitted comprehensive video evidence and legal documentation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, calling for a minimum of 95 criminal animal cruelty counts against Manning Beef, its owners, and its employees. We also uncovered information in this process showing that the slaughterhouse is in bankruptcy. Manning Beef has a long history of inhumane handling violations. Between 2018-2024 the company racked up 61 enforcement notices for inhumane handling, including two suspensions. The company's 2020 USDA suspension due to "an egregious act of inhumane handling of animals." In 2022, the company was again suspended for "a trend of repetitive noncompliance" with stunning requirements. Last week, the USDA issued Manning
 · 7d ago · 1m read
 · 
Hi FAST! Sweden’s animal welfare law currently guarantees cows the right to graze outdoors during the summer – a unique protection now under threat. A government inquiry has proposed removing this requirement, which would mark a major setback. However, last week, the Swedish Green Party and the Left Party joined the Social Democrats in supporting a reservation to protect cows grazing rights, which ultimately gained a majority over the committee’s proposal to reject it. This led to a formal request to the government – sending a strong message that both the public and policymakers are committed to protecting grazing rights. This positive development follows Project 1882’s dedicated efforts to defend grazing rights. Prior to the formal request to the government, we presented 165,076 signatures from our “Jag vill beta” (“I want to graze”) campaign, urging the government not only to preserve these rights but also to expand them to include bulls and calves. We will continue to fight for the cows and ensure their right to graze is protected. Read more: 165,076 voices raised for cows’ right to graze – signatures handed over to the Swedish Parliament