Identifying Effective Strategies Against Factory Farming

In economics, a race to the bottom occurs when competing businesses lower standards to cut costs and remain viable in a competitive market. In factory farming, this dynamic plays out brutally.

Farmers are under constant pressure to reduce costs in order to offer cheaper meat. If one company cuts costs by cramming more animals into smaller spaces, others must follow or risk losing market share.

Companies don't want to raise animal welfare standards, because that means raising prices. And unfortunately, consumers care more about prices than animal welfare standards.

What This Means for Animal Advocates

When analyzing strategies, we have to consider how the strategy functions within this system. Does the strategy alter the race to the bottom dynamic? If not, it will probably struggle to have an impact.

Below, we've listed a few examples of strategies that alter the race to the bottom dynamic:

• Passing Animal Welfare Laws: If companies are legally required to maintain certain animal welfare standards, this changes how low the race to the bottom is able to go.
• Alt Protein Development: Better alternative protein products can reduce the demand for factory-farmed meat.
• Providing Animal Welfare Equipment: Supplying companies with free animal welfare equipment (like stunning technology for slaughterhouses) removes the financial incentive to avoid acquiring the equipment.

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