Most people care about farm animals — our food system doesn't reflect that

• Surveys worldwide consistently show that the vast majority of people find common intensive farming practices unacceptable.
• Despite this strong public disapproval, the modern food system remains heavily reliant on factory farming, with 85% of animals in the UK and 99% in the US raised in such conditions.
• A significant gap persists between consumer values regarding animal welfare and actual consumption patterns, as meat intake remains high and even increasing in some sectors.

Common Intensive Farming Practices

• Chick culling: Nearly all male chicks in the egg industry are killed at birth, affecting approximately 42 million animals annually in the UK alone.
• Confinement: Hens are frequently kept in battery or enriched cages, while pregnant sows are often confined to crates that prevent them from turning around.
• Painful procedures: Practices such as beak trimming, tail docking, castration, and dehorning are standard, often performed without pain relief to manage large, high-density flocks.
• Systematic handling: Routine identification methods like ear tagging and branding, along with early separation of offspring and long-distance transport, cause significant ongoing distress.

Path to Closing the Gap

• Relying solely on individual dietary changes is insufficient; industry innovation and government policy are essential drivers for change.
• The rise of plant-based proteins and the development of cultivated meat offer potential alternatives that could achieve price parity with conventional animal products.
• Policy intervention is required to phase out the most egregious welfare practices while technological alternatives continue to scale.