Animal Exploitation Is the Greatest Source of Preventable Suffering on Earth

A harrowing reality we can no longer ignore

Image credit: Andrew Skowron

When we think about the suffering in the world, images of war, poverty, natural disasters, famine, and disease often come to mind.

And hell, I’m not here to downplay any of that. These things can unleash horrors most of us can barely imagine — the kind of misery you would never wish on your worst enemy.

So it might sound outrageous when I say it, but I’m here to talk about something even worse. Something that creates more suffering than all of the above. Maybe even more than all of them combined.

You already saw it in the title: I’m talking about the animal agriculture industry.

I wish I were exaggerating — but I’m not.

You probably have a few questions already, and I’ll get to them. But first, hear me out. 👇

Why is the animal farming the biggest source of preventable suffering in the world?

It’s not ONLY because …

• farmed animals are regularly caged, tormented, ripped away from their families, mutilated without anesthesia, treated like worthless objects, and mercilessly killed.

• most of them are deprived of everything that could make their lives worth living (99 percent of farmed animals in the U.S. are factory farmed.)

• famed animals are often tortured, violently kicked, beaten, whipped, hanged, stabbed, burned, dragged by ropes, skinned alive, buried alive, castrated without anesthesia, drowned in ‘fecal soup’, forced to cannibalism, boiled alive in scalding-hot water, ground up alive in a macerator, slaughtered in front of each other, suffocated in gas chambers, and hammered to death — even on “high welfare” farms (and that isn’t nearly everything.)

But also because…

… nothing in the world compares to the unbelievable scale of this abhorrent industry:

Every 30 minutes, as many animals are killed for human consumption as people have died in the six years of the Second World War — the deadliest conflict in human history.

Hundreds of millions of land animals are killed for food every single day. The number of sea animals killed per year is estimated to be 1 trillion to 2.8 trillion (and fish feel pain, too.)

To put these mind-boggling numbers in perspective: a trillion seconds is 31,709 years.

The number of land animals killed for food every year (~92 billion) is close to the number of humans that have ever lived and died over the course of 192,000 years (~109 billion).

And this doesn't even count fish and other aquatic animals.

No other form of exploitation, no catastrophe, and no industry in the world can even remotely compete with these numbers.

Let’s not forget that they are individuals — innocent beings with the capacity to feel lonely, suffer, and fear for their lives. (Image credit: Mercy For Animals)

On top of that …

In addition to the harm caused to farmed animals, the animal agriculture industry also heavily contributes to ocean dead zones, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, water and air pollution, deterioration of public health, antibiotic resistance, modern slavery, and world hunger.

How Animal Farming Fuels Global Hunger

Animal farming is responsible for a staggering 70% of rainforest destruction in South America and by far the leading cause of deforestation worldwide.

Last but not least, the industry is a major driver of climate change, causing five times the emissions of all aviation.

Objections you may have:

“There are other horrible industries as well!”

My response:

Yes, unfortunately, there is an abundance of horrible industries in this world. For instance, the fossil fuels, fast fashion, and mining industries exploit workers and cause irreparable damage to climate and environment. Illegal industries, such as forced prostitution and human trafficking, cause immense suffering for the victims involved.

We have to hold these industries accountable and fight for the rights of their victims! Nothing is further from my mind than downplaying their horrific impacts.

At the same time, putting a critical focus on the animal agriculture industry is justified. It’s an industry that is still widely accepted and actively funded by the majority of society despite causing unmatched dimensions of suffering and destruction, as explained above.

“You can’t compare human suffering with animal suffering!”

My response:

Humans are animals. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever to suggest that the human capacity to suffer is superior to that of other animals.

Leading neuroscientists have signed the “Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness” — an official statement confirming that all mammals and birds, as well as many other animals, possess the neurological substrates for consciousness, just like humans. Another team of scientists, who reviewed over 2,500 studies on the subject, concluded: "Evidence for animal sentience is everywhere."

Yes, farmed animals may be less intelligent than most people. But the capacity to suffer does not depend on intelligence. Human infants are also less intelligent, yet it is universally accepted that they are capable of sensations such as pain, hunger, boredom, joy, sadness, loneliness, and fear. We have no reason to assume it is any different for cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, etc.

“Anyhow, I value human lives over animal lives!”

My response:

Avoiding unnecessary harm to animals and protecting human well-being are not mutually exclusive — in fact, these goals go hand in hand.

We don't need animal products to be healthy. Population studies have shown that we are healthier without them. Meaning: we don’t have to decide between protecting our own species and treating (other) animals with respect. It’s not an either-or issue. We can — and should — do both!

As already mentioned above, animal farming doesn’t just harm animals and the environment, but also people:

The Human Cost of Animal Agriculture

Bringing down this industry will be a big win for everyone.

"Alright, but what about the suffering in the wild, such as when lions kill gazelles?"

My response:

Yes, nature can be cruel.

But there is a fundamental difference between carnivorous animals and humans: lions need meat to survive. Humans don't. As stated above, we are even healthier without consuming animal products. Thus, the suffering caused by the animal agriculture industry is entirely unnecessary and avoidable. Removing all wild life, on the other hand, is not a realistic option.

Moreover, farmed animals have 30 times more biomass than all wild land mammals in the world, combined. No matter how bloody and terrible you imagine nature to be, these cruelties are dwarfed by the horrors of the animal industry.

In any case, the livestock sector is the biggest source of unnecessary and preventable suffering in the world. And that’s what matters most when it comes to our everyday choices.

“Does all this mean I should go vegan?”

My response:

“If you don’t want to be beaten, imprisoned, mutilated, killed or tortured, then you shouldn’t condone such behavior towards anyone, be they human or not.” (Moby)

In other words: Yes. If you aren’t already, go vegan today! Here is how.