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Human progress has come at the expense of animals. It doesn’t have to

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on VOX or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: The rising numbers of farmed animals might be tilting the scales of global welfare towards suffering, posing a moral dilemma concerning animal welfare

🔭 The context: History has shown that the human condition has vastly improved over the centuries, with less poverty, hunger, and preventable diseases
• This progress contrasts sharply with the conditions of farmed animals, whose populations have exploded and whose lives are often short and filled with suffering

🌎 Why it matters for the planet: The juxtaposition of human prosperity and animal suffering raises profound ethical questions, mattering not just for the billions of animals in distress, but also casting a shadow on human morality and the sustainability of our food systems

⏭️ What's next: Solutions like plant-based meat alternatives and lab-grown cultured meat offer a glimpse of hope, and policy reforms can alleviate the suffering of farmed animals
• The real shift, however, would need to come from a profound change in our moral values and consumption habits

💬 One quote: "The entire good of humanity may be outweighed by the cumulative suffering of farmed animals, with total animal suffering growing faster than human well-being is increasing, especially in recent decades.” (Bryan Walsh, Editorial Director) 

📈 One stat: The human population has more than tripled over the past 60 years, from 3 billion to 8 billion
• However, this growth is dwarfed by the population of farmed animals, with the number of chickens alone being four times more than humans

Click for more news covering the latest on animal welfare

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