Martin Gould
@martinvgould.bsky.social
Working on farm animal welfare research and grants at Open Philanthropy🐔📈 Views my own. Interested in economics, policy and bouldering
Guess Europe's second most farmed land animal. Pigs? Cows? Ducks?
It's rabbits — over 140 million are slaughtered annually, second only to chickens
And most live in cages on industrial farms
It's rabbits — over 140 million are slaughtered annually, second only to chickens
And most live in cages on industrial farms
December 17, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Guess Europe's second most farmed land animal. Pigs? Cows? Ducks?
It's rabbits — over 140 million are slaughtered annually, second only to chickens
And most live in cages on industrial farms
It's rabbits — over 140 million are slaughtered annually, second only to chickens
And most live in cages on industrial farms
The Netherlands has seen something similar with its Beter Leven label: once retailers align on a shared welfare framework, farmers get clearer signals and more certainty to invest, and higher-welfare products slowly increase market share
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The Netherlands has seen something similar with its Beter Leven label: once retailers align on a shared welfare framework, farmers get clearer signals and more certainty to invest, and higher-welfare products slowly increase market share
Higher-welfare tiers (HF3–5) have also been edging upward over time
2024→2025 alone:
• HF3–5 are up ~2.1 percentage points
• HF1–2 are down ~2.4 points combined
Not huge jumps — but they match the longer-term pattern of steady, incremental movement
2024→2025 alone:
• HF3–5 are up ~2.1 percentage points
• HF1–2 are down ~2.4 points combined
Not huge jumps — but they match the longer-term pattern of steady, incremental movement
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Higher-welfare tiers (HF3–5) have also been edging upward over time
2024→2025 alone:
• HF3–5 are up ~2.1 percentage points
• HF1–2 are down ~2.4 points combined
Not huge jumps — but they match the longer-term pattern of steady, incremental movement
2024→2025 alone:
• HF3–5 are up ~2.1 percentage points
• HF1–2 are down ~2.4 points combined
Not huge jumps — but they match the longer-term pattern of steady, incremental movement
Since the system launched in 2019, the lowest tier (HF1) has been shrinking across multiple chains. Some of the biggest retailers now plan to reach 0% HF1 for fresh meat by the end of 2025
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Since the system launched in 2019, the lowest tier (HF1) has been shrinking across multiple chains. Some of the biggest retailers now plan to reach 0% HF1 for fresh meat by the end of 2025
When governments won’t step up, companies sometimes build their own systems to patch a market failure. Usually that ends up as PR.
But Germany’s supermarket-led animal-welfare label looks like a real exception: it’s reducing the lowest-welfare products, year after year 🧵
But Germany’s supermarket-led animal-welfare label looks like a real exception: it’s reducing the lowest-welfare products, year after year 🧵
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
When governments won’t step up, companies sometimes build their own systems to patch a market failure. Usually that ends up as PR.
But Germany’s supermarket-led animal-welfare label looks like a real exception: it’s reducing the lowest-welfare products, year after year 🧵
But Germany’s supermarket-led animal-welfare label looks like a real exception: it’s reducing the lowest-welfare products, year after year 🧵
EAs doing their end-of-year donations
December 8, 2025 at 11:19 PM
EAs doing their end-of-year donations
On a budget smaller than the latest Spiderman movie, a small group of activists spared 500M+ animals from battery cages
How? @DavidComanHidy and I break down the strategic lessons in @AllianceMag 🧵
How? @DavidComanHidy and I break down the strategic lessons in @AllianceMag 🧵
December 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
On a budget smaller than the latest Spiderman movie, a small group of activists spared 500M+ animals from battery cages
How? @DavidComanHidy and I break down the strategic lessons in @AllianceMag 🧵
How? @DavidComanHidy and I break down the strategic lessons in @AllianceMag 🧵
Humans domesticated cows and chickens over thousands of years, while fish species are being domesticated over decades
There was virtually no salmon farming in 1980, and now 600 million are killed a year in aquaculture
x.com/voxdotcom/s...
There was virtually no salmon farming in 1980, and now 600 million are killed a year in aquaculture
x.com/voxdotcom/s...
November 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Humans domesticated cows and chickens over thousands of years, while fish species are being domesticated over decades
There was virtually no salmon farming in 1980, and now 600 million are killed a year in aquaculture
x.com/voxdotcom/s...
There was virtually no salmon farming in 1980, and now 600 million are killed a year in aquaculture
x.com/voxdotcom/s...
A grim new study: Researchers starved chickens for up to 10 days (nearly a quarter of their 42-day lives) to save on feed
Didn't even bother to measure welfare. They call it an “efficient” approach
Didn't even bother to measure welfare. They call it an “efficient” approach
November 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
A grim new study: Researchers starved chickens for up to 10 days (nearly a quarter of their 42-day lives) to save on feed
Didn't even bother to measure welfare. They call it an “efficient” approach
Didn't even bother to measure welfare. They call it an “efficient” approach
Canada really lags other high income countries when it comes to the share of egg-laying hens out of cages
As an example, Costco is 97% cage-free in the US but only 21% in Canada
As an example, Costco is 97% cage-free in the US but only 21% in Canada
November 5, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Canada really lags other high income countries when it comes to the share of egg-laying hens out of cages
As an example, Costco is 97% cage-free in the US but only 21% in Canada
As an example, Costco is 97% cage-free in the US but only 21% in Canada
This lolsob via Vasile Stănescu via Seth Ariel Green's great blog:
October 31, 2025 at 11:56 AM
This lolsob via Vasile Stănescu via Seth Ariel Green's great blog:
Meat company Tyson has a "Open Prairie: Natural Meats" brand which you might assume means the animals are on an: "open prairie" in their "natural" environment
But in Tyson's own FAQs...
But in Tyson's own FAQs...
October 31, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Meat company Tyson has a "Open Prairie: Natural Meats" brand which you might assume means the animals are on an: "open prairie" in their "natural" environment
But in Tyson's own FAQs...
But in Tyson's own FAQs...
"...preventing an hour of intense pain in chickens costs less than a hundredth of a cent"
October 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
"...preventing an hour of intense pain in chickens costs less than a hundredth of a cent"
Exciting to see farm animal welfare philanthropy covered in the
@ssir.org, and to read the reflections of @davidcomanhidy and @CampionShan on how donors can make a difference
@ssir.org, and to read the reflections of @davidcomanhidy and @CampionShan on how donors can make a difference
October 29, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Exciting to see farm animal welfare philanthropy covered in the
@ssir.org, and to read the reflections of @davidcomanhidy and @CampionShan on how donors can make a difference
@ssir.org, and to read the reflections of @davidcomanhidy and @CampionShan on how donors can make a difference
New comparison showing how small the farm animal movement is — there are many many opportunities for outsized impact
October 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
New comparison showing how small the farm animal movement is — there are many many opportunities for outsized impact
"...bird flu cases are again starting to increase, suggesting we may be headed into another ramp-up in infections. If rising egg prices catch us off guard this winter, it’ll be quite an achievement—after all, we changed nothing and somehow expected a different result."
October 17, 2025 at 4:15 PM
"...bird flu cases are again starting to increase, suggesting we may be headed into another ramp-up in infections. If rising egg prices catch us off guard this winter, it’ll be quite an achievement—after all, we changed nothing and somehow expected a different result."
Was the Consumer Reports analysis of protein powders bad science?
1. Their daily lead limits are nonsensically low
2. They don't compare protein powders to the protein/foods they replace
3. They only test each powder 2-3 times, which isn't enough given variation between batches
1. Their daily lead limits are nonsensically low
2. They don't compare protein powders to the protein/foods they replace
3. They only test each powder 2-3 times, which isn't enough given variation between batches
October 16, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Was the Consumer Reports analysis of protein powders bad science?
1. Their daily lead limits are nonsensically low
2. They don't compare protein powders to the protein/foods they replace
3. They only test each powder 2-3 times, which isn't enough given variation between batches
1. Their daily lead limits are nonsensically low
2. They don't compare protein powders to the protein/foods they replace
3. They only test each powder 2-3 times, which isn't enough given variation between batches
Touching story of a father and daughter realizing they want nothing to do with one of the cruelest practices in modern farming
October 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Touching story of a father and daughter realizing they want nothing to do with one of the cruelest practices in modern farming
As we enter the cooler months, we may see an uptick in bird flu cases, after the lull of summer
October 10, 2025 at 12:02 PM
As we enter the cooler months, we may see an uptick in bird flu cases, after the lull of summer
The European Food Safety Authority has advised a return to slower-growing breeds, which suffer fewer health problems
When even industry leaders describe broilers’ lives as “painful,” it's clearly time for a change: www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...
When even industry leaders describe broilers’ lives as “painful,” it's clearly time for a change: www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...
October 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The European Food Safety Authority has advised a return to slower-growing breeds, which suffer fewer health problems
When even industry leaders describe broilers’ lives as “painful,” it's clearly time for a change: www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...
When even industry leaders describe broilers’ lives as “painful,” it's clearly time for a change: www.bloomberg.com/news/featur...
And the parent birds ("breeders") are "forced to endure chronic hunger" lest they grow too big to do any breeding
October 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
And the parent birds ("breeders") are "forced to endure chronic hunger" lest they grow too big to do any breeding
The world’s dominant chicken breeds grow to slaughter weight roughly three times faster than chickens in the 1950s
This speed comes at a cost: chronic leg pain, heart failure, and muscle disorders leading to "woody breast" and "spaghetti meat"
This speed comes at a cost: chronic leg pain, heart failure, and muscle disorders leading to "woody breast" and "spaghetti meat"
October 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The world’s dominant chicken breeds grow to slaughter weight roughly three times faster than chickens in the 1950s
This speed comes at a cost: chronic leg pain, heart failure, and muscle disorders leading to "woody breast" and "spaghetti meat"
This speed comes at a cost: chronic leg pain, heart failure, and muscle disorders leading to "woody breast" and "spaghetti meat"
A striking quote in Bloomberg from the president of the World’s Poultry Science Association, an industry group, about modern meat chickens:
October 9, 2025 at 9:28 PM
A striking quote in Bloomberg from the president of the World’s Poultry Science Association, an industry group, about modern meat chickens:
There aren't many groups who support overturning US state-based cage bans, which provide hens and pigs with more room to move and express natural behaviors
August 22, 2025 at 11:27 AM
There aren't many groups who support overturning US state-based cage bans, which provide hens and pigs with more room to move and express natural behaviors
Study here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
August 21, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Study here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...