Why Farmed Animals?

Animal suffering is immense and takes many forms. Trillions of farmed animals (including fishes) experience harsh conditions and cruel treatment on factory farms. While no animal deserves to suffer, farmed animal advocacy presents one of the most significant opportunities to reduce animal suffering on a large scale. By focusing our advocacy and fundraising efforts on improving the lives of farmed animals, ACE believes we can make the greatest impact on animal welfare globally.

How Many Farmed Animals Are Killed?

Farmed animals account for over 99% of all animals killed for human consumption globally, with an estimated 83 billion land animals,¹ 124 billion farmed fishes,² and 1–2 trillion wild-caught fishes³ used for food and clothing each year, far outnumbering companion animals and those used in labs. In the U.S. alone, more than 14,000 farmed animals are slaughtered for every single dog or cat euthanized in a shelter.⁴ Of domesticated and captive animals killed by humans in the U.S., less than 1% are animals killed in laboratories⁵ and even fewer are euthanized in companion animal shelters. More than 99% of animals slaughtered by humans are kept on farms.

According to available data, more than 13 billion farmed animals are killed every year in the U.S., including 9.9 billion land animals (mostly chickens), 3.1 billion farmed aquatic animals (mostly crustaceans), and up to 17 billion wild-caught fishes. This amounts to about 295 chickens, 85 farmed crustaceans (such as shrimp and crab), 13 farmed fishes, seven turkeys, and four pigs killed every second—in the U.S. alone. For more information on the global scale of farmed animal suffering, see “How We Prioritize Causes.”

For more details on the U.S. animal data we used, please see this spreadsheet.

What Are the Lives of Farmed Animals Like?

Animals on factory farms experience significant suffering. Although we may not fully understand the subjective experiences of farmed animals, we do know that certain factory farming methods deny them any chance at a natural life. For example, chickens will forage for food, build nests and roosts, groom their feathers, and interact with their flock when provided with enough space. However, chickens in factory farms spend their entire lives in overcrowded, empty battery cages, with hardly any space to move or extend their wings.

Similarly, life for farmed cows is far from the idyllic, green pastures often depicted on milk cartons and meat packaging. Many of these curious animals spend their days in crowded, confined spaces, with little chance to roam or rest peacefully under shady trees. Mother cows on farms are artificially inseminated every year to become pregnant and produce milk. In most cases, mother cows are separated from their calves after giving birth, denying them the chance to bond and nurture their young—a deeply distressing experience for both mothers and calves.

Regrettably, the industrial agriculture sector prioritizes maximizing agricultural output at the expense of animal welfare and other concerns, such as the environment or public health. Despite some efforts to tackle these issues, major producers are hesitant to implement measures that could increase operating costs or decrease potential sales. This has resulted in an unsustainable industry that perpetuates widespread animal suffering.

The Funding Gap

Despite the vast scale and intensity of suffering experienced by farmed animals, their plight remains highly neglected in philanthropy and the public eye. The charities helping them receive little attention or funding compared to other causes.

Looking at data from 2023 on GuideStar and Charity Navigator,⁶ it becomes starkly clear how overlooked farmed animals are. About 95% of donations to animal charities in the U.S. go to companion animal organizations, 2% go to laboratory animal organizations, and just 3% go specifically to farmed animal organizations.

While these figures should be interpreted as broad indicators rather than precise statistics, they indicate a significant imbalance in the current distribution of animal advocacy funding.

What Can Be Done to Help Farmed Animals?

Addressing the complex issue of farmed animal suffering may seem daunting, but there are effective actions that can lead to meaningful change. Effective giving involves using evidence and careful analysis to determine the best strategies for making a difference. It ensures that every dollar is spent wisely, resulting in the greatest possible reduction in animal suffering and the most substantial improvement in their lives.

For donors and advocates looking to make the most significant impact on animal welfare, some actions are more effective than others in helping more animals per dollar spent. Some cost-effective strategies include:

1. Corporate Commitment Campaigns: Encouraging companies to adopt policies that can reduce animal suffering, such as pledging to use only cage-free eggs throughout their supply chain.
2. Diet Change Initiatives: Promoting reduced consumption of animal products or increased consumption of plant-based products, lowering the demand for farmed animal products.
3. Policy Advocacy: Supporting legislation aimed at improving animal welfare, such as lobbying for laws that ban the cruelest factory farming practices.

While prioritizing cost-effective strategies is a powerful way to help more animals, there is still a significant need for increased funding to identify the best ways to help them. To help bridge the gap between the immense suffering of farmed animals and the relative lack of funding for farmed animal advocacy, we encourage donors and animal advocates to focus on helping farmed animals. With billions of animals affected and many cost-effective interventions available, farmed animal advocacy offers one of the most promising paths for large-scale, positive change. By supporting organizations that prioritize farmed animals, we can drive systemic change that will improve the lives of countless animals worldwide.

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1. Our World In Data (2022) 

2. Mood et al. (2023) 

3. Mood and Brooke (2024) 

4. To calculate this figure, we used this data spreadsheet and divided the total number of farmed animals slaughtered in the U.S. (in cell B10) by the number of cats and dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters (in cell B2). 

5. Despite the absence of accurate numbers of animals in labs in the U.S., we find the extrapolated data provided by Carbone (2021) compelling because the author uses data from the 16 top research universities in the U.S. and provides a thoughtful and reasonable analysis. Unfortunately, most of these animals are killed. 

6. For more details on the data we used, please see this spreadsheet.