High Impact Engineers
Helping farmed animals
Authors: Grant Fellows
Introduction
Humans are outnumbered by non-human animals in factory farms. These animals suffer under horrible conditions.
How engineers can help
Most effective charities in the animal welfare space are focused on advocating for change in corporate and governmental policies. However, there is substantial room for engineers to steer technological development in a more humane direction.
One proven success of engineering to improve factory farming conditions is in-ovo sexing. In many chick hatcheries, male chicks used in egg production are killed shortly after hatching (estimated at 7 billion per year). Engineers have developed optical, hormonal, and robotic systems to identify sex inside the egg, enabling the culling of male embryos before they hatch. Germany, France, and Italy now mandate this technology and major suppliers have scaled it globally.
Engineers can help accelerate the development of alternative proteins such as plant-based or cultivated meats to reduce demand for factory-farmed products. Biomedical, chemical, mechanical, and industrial engineering are all critical in scaling the precision fermentation, bioreactors, scaffolding, and food-grade manufacturing needed for these meat alternatives.
More speculatively, gene editing could be used to improve animal welfare.
Resources to check out
Engineering section of a career guide for ending factory farming
A case that creating meat replacements is the most effective way to help animals
80,000 Hours cause profile on factory farming
The Good Food Institute, a think tank working to accelerate alternative protein development
Profile on technical research for animal product alternatives
Podcast episode on alternative proteins
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