Hide table of contents

A report by Animal Ask authored by Ren Ryba.

This report is also available on Animal Ask website.

Downloadable version in pdf 

From the Summary

At Animal Ask, we spent most of 2023 conducting prioritisation research to identify the most promising goals and strategies for the animal advocacy movement. The aim of that project was to identify goals and strategies that could be more impactful than the current leading campaigns (e.g. cage-free campaigns). If we succeed, we can unlock new opportunities for the movement to help even more animals.

 

This article outlines one component of the methodology we used for that research. Specifically, to guide our research on new interventions for the animal advocacy movement, we needed a framework that allows us to quantify the subjective experiences of animals. For example, if we were comparing two campaigns—say, a) phasing out fast-growing breeds to reduce suffering in broiler chickens and b) implementing more humane pesticides to reduce suffering in wild insects killed on agricultural land—we would need to produce a quantitative estimate of the potential impact of these two campaigns.

 

In essence, our framework allows us to systematically compare different campaign opportunities in how good they are for animals—and these comparisons can be made across different species, across different intensities of experience (e.g. mild vs extreme suffering), and across both positive and negative experiences. The framework allows us to be clear and transparent about the worldviews, philosophical positions, and/or empirical assumptions that are used in drawing conclusions about particular campaigns.

 

Acknowledgments

Our framework is heavily based on the existing Cumulative Pain framework, which was developed by the researchers Wladimir J. Alonso and Cynthia Schuck-Paim, from the Welfare Footprint Project

To make comparisons of subjective experiences across species, the most comprehensive and relevant evidence comes from the Moral Weight Project conducted by Rethink Priorities

 

Feel free to let us know your thoughts, suggestions and critiques.

5

0
0

Reactions

0
0
Comments


No comments on this post yet.
Be the first to respond.
Curated and popular this week
Dydanimal
 · 7d ago · 1m read
 · 
Hi Fast, We are pleased to share that Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal has secured three new cage-free commitments, with the support of the Open Wing Alliance. These include La Subida, a restaurant located at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal, a site of great historical significance; Rincón de Las Brujas, a restaurant serving in Pomaire, one of the most popular rural tourist destinations near the capital; and Madeline Panadería, a renowned bakery known for its high-volume production of cakes that use eggs as a key ingredient. We are very excited about the progress of this alliance and highly motivated to continue working for animal welfare. Best regards, Kiara Espinoza Corporate Relations Manager Desafío sin Jaulas (Cage-Free Challenge) – Fundación DyDAnimal 
amypwilson
 · 4d ago · 2m read
 · 
Dear Friends, You are invited to a landmark animal protection and law event in South Africa (and online)! Join us for a first-of-its-kind event in South Africa, a Colloquium on ‘Transforming Animal Protection Legislation in South Africa: A Constitutional Imperative’. 📅 Dates: 5 & 6 May 2025 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM SAST (both days) 📍 Online & In-person [Zoom & @University of Johannesburg, Kerzner Building] This 2-day hybrid colloquium brings together a powerful network of legal minds, government representatives, scientists, civil society leaders, judges, prosecutors, veterinarians, academics, activists and members of the public to chart a bold new course for animal protection in the country, grounded in our progressive Constitution and in pursuit of achieving inclusive justice.  Co-hosted by Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA), Humane World for Animals Africa and the South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC) [collectively the Animal Law Project], it offers a critical platform to engage with and advocate for transformative animal law reform. Why This Matters: The South African government, through the Department of Agriculture, is currently overhauling the regulatory regime for animals through the drafting of a new ‘Animal Welfare Bill’. The existing animal ‘protection’ regime consists of antiquated laws, some 90 years old, passed during the abhorrent system of apartheid, and which are not aligned with our new constitutional ethos. Nearly a decade ago, South Africa’s Constitutional Court affirmed that animals are sentient beings with intrinsic value and connected human rights to the protection of animal interests - yet, the law has not been updated with this approach. As government initiates work on this new bill, it is critical that they develop a law that recognises these issues and developments.  This Colloquium builds on the Animal Law Project’s widely-endorsed ‘Manifesto for Transformin
 · 7d ago · 1m read
 · 
The IP28 campaign in Oregon—seeking to place a ban on slaughter, hunting, fishing, experimentations, and forced breeding on the 2026 statewide ballot—passed our 50,000 signatures collected milestone!  We also ended the month of April collecting over 5,000 signatures thanks to some of the new petitioners we onboarded earlier this Spring. After a slower winter season, we're excited by the renewed activity. 
 · 3d ago · 1m read
 · 
Animal Outlook appealed the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Civil Division's dismissal of its lawsuit against the American Heart Association under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, alleging that, in exchange for a fee, AHA allows companies to display its "Heart-Check" mark on certain meat products and market them as “heart healthy”--counter to its own prior statements about the effects on cardiovascular health of consuming those products. The lawsuit also alleges that AHA promotes its Heart-Check certification program as using standards more stringent than the government’s standards for beef, when, in fact, AHA only uses the government’s minimum standards.
 · 4d ago · 1m read
 · 
Following a tip from a concerned supporter, our Freedom of Information Act request uncovered grim details of the mass culling of 100,000 birds killed with carbon dioxide foam and survivors having their necks broken with a "Koechner Euthanizing Device." The story was published this week in The New York Post.   Before this mass culling, Crescent Duck Farm supplied 4% of America's duck meat while polluting the North Fork area with the unmistakable stench of factory farming.  Animal Outlook is reaching out to Crescent through our Farm Transitions program, offering support to shift from animal agriculture to sustainable crop production, which would create a win for animals, the environment, and the local community. This approach exemplifies our commitment not just to exposing cruelty, but to offering practical solutions for a more compassionate food system. Thanks to John Di Leonardo of Humane Long Island for sharing local wisdom and connections.