The last few decades of industrialization in animal agriculture have led to an unprecedented period of abundance in our food system. More people than ever have access to a practically unlimited supply of affordable, safe, and nutritious animal protein.

Yet this abundance hasn’t come without costs. Most people in our society care about the welfare of animals, and polls consistently show that Americans want animals on farms to be handled respectfully and responsibly. But many of the husbandry practices that were historically necessary to achieve this abundance are viewed by consumers as unacceptable. This has led to an erosion of consumer trust which threatens the long-term sustainability of the animal agriculture industry.

Our society is now grappling with the question of how to maintain a safe, affordable, nutritious supply of animal protein, while also providing the respect and care that everyone believes animals deserve. These conversations have been heated and far too polarized given that most Americans share the same vision of responsible animal stewardship. 

We believe that the best solution is not to choose between animal welfare or an abundant food supply, but to leverage technology to have both.

Technology is powerful because it eliminates tradeoffs. Instead of asking businesses to sacrifice their profitability, or asking consumers to forgo culturally important foods, it changes the type of food system that is possible. Technology can allow us to have our meat and be proud of it too.

The Lessons of Climate Tech

The challenge of climate change is remarkably similar to the challenge of animal welfare. To use the language of economists, both carbon emissions and animal welfare are unpriced externalities: unplanned consequences of industrialization whose costs are not directly paid by producers or consumers, and hence are not inherently incentivized to be improved. No one wants the climate to change, yet it happens anyways. Similarly, no one wants a farm animal to be treated poorly, yet it happens anyways.

When it comes to climate change, the most promising practical solutions are technologies like solar panels, electric vehicles, improved batteries, and carbon capture. These technologies are powerful because they allow us to maintain the prosperity brought about by industrialization, while simultaneously mitigating the harms of climate change. 

Despite the similarities with the climate space, technology is under discussed and underinvested in as a solution to animal welfare. Information on its possibilities is often difficult to impossible to find, and few champions actively push solutions forward. Our mission is to change this, and build a world where technological solutions to animal welfare challenges are at the forefront of the conversation about the future of American animal agriculture.