Hive Highlights: Alt protein trends, state of the movement, & 2033 farmed animal forecasts
Your farmed animal advocacy update for early May 2025
Hi there!👋 As the calendar flips to May, our team is deep in prep mode for conferences on two continents. Before we hit the road, we’re excited to bring you the latest movement news!
The most popular link from Hive Highlights late April 2025 was the Effective Altruism (EA) Animal Welfare Fund’s January to March 2025 payout report.
To kick off today’s Hive Highlights, here are our 3 top picks from across the movement:
From Movement News
🥗 Plant-Based Food & Alternative Protein: The Good Food Institute releases its State of Alternative Proteins series. The reports highlight a surge in alternative seafood startups across Asia, the reimagining of underused crops as novel protein sources, and the rise of hybrid products blending plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins.
💪 Animal Advocacy Org Updates: Stray Dog Institute publishes its State of the Movement 2024 report. The report maps 259 million USD in global animal advocacy spending, revealing a concentration of funding in Europe and North America, with most resources directed toward terrestrial farmed animals and welfare improvements.
From Resources
📚 Research: Rethink Priorities forecasts the number of animals farmed in 2033. It estimates that nearly 6 trillion animals—mainly broiler chickens, finfishes, shrimps, and certain insect species—could be slaughtered that year, with insects alone making up 95% of the total.
We really appreciate your curiosity about the latest news across the farmed animal advocacy movement. Thank you for reading!
Warmly,
Sofia, Angel, and the Hive team
How to navigate Hive Highlights
Every two weeks our team sends you the latest updates, organized into four sections:
Movement news: Covering 🐖 Animal Welfare, 🥗 Plant-Based Food & Alternative Protein, ⚖️ Policy, Legislation, and Law, 💪🏾 Animal Advocacy Org Updates, and 🎲 Other
Jobs & Opportunities: Covering 💼 Jobs, 🔥 Opportunities, 💰 Funding, and 🤝 Upcoming External Events
Resources: Covering 📚 Research, 🎙️ Podcasts, 📙 Books, and 🎥 Videos
Hive updates: Covering the latest from our team!
Other ways to read this newsletter: Extensions ChatGPT Writer (to summarize posts) or Read Aloud.
🐖 Animal Welfare
Ben Stevenson writes about recent developments in space aquaculture.
Bentham’s Bulldog argues that insect suffering is either overwhelmingly important or entirely negligible, but not moderately important.
Faunalytics examines why ducks are overlooked in our movement, and what it would take to put them on our agenda; Faunalytics also updates its global animal slaughter statistics and charts.
Study commissioned by the UK government finds insect protein to have a higher environmental impact than animal feed, and concludes that insects are “not the current solution to decarbonizing the animal feed industry."
The EU issues a briefing on how AI may transform animal farming.
🥗 Plant-Based Food & Alternative Protein
Analysis finds that only half of the top US food service providers have commitments to cut animal proteins or boost plant-based options despite widespread sustainability claims.
Five companies join forces to form InterVeg, France’s first coalition dedicated to plant-based food.
Space mission explores microbe-based precision fermentation to solve astronaut food challenges.
Tom Bry-Chevalier presents an argument challenging the promise of cultivated meat, arguing that cultivated meat may not replace conventional meat.
UK government report concludes that processed plant-based meat alternatives are not associated with adverse health outcomes.
⚖️ Policy, Legislation, and Law
Animal Policy International releases report urging action on imports that undermine British people’s support for higher animal welfare standards.
Switzerland’s highest court rules that plant-based products can no longer use animal names like "chicken" or "beef" on packaging.
UPSIDE Foods wins first-round victory in court after challenging Florida’s cultivated meat ban.
💪 Animal Advocacy Org Updates
APPatEIT, a student-led initiative under the Good Food Institute network, is now The Protein Diversification Academy, a global initiative dedicated to closing the critical skills gap in protein diversification through education.
Lumera is the first organization in Zambia devoted to farmed animal advocacy, with a focus on corporate cage-free campaigns.
Our Honor guides Business Insider through California’s Central Valley to expose the avian flu outbreak, underscoring the pandemic threat and urging a shift to animal-free egg alternatives. Also, Our Honor’s footage of H5N1-infected cows is featured on 60 Minutes.
Rethink Priorities launches RP Strategic Animal Insights, a new Substack.
Shrimp Welfare Project publishes its 2030 Vision and Absorbency Plans; it also details its plan to create market incentives for shrimp stunning.
The ProVeg Incubator introduces its latest cohort of ten startups working to transform the global food system.
The Veit Lab, a new research group focused on animal and AI sentience and welfare, is in its founding stages.
🎲 Other
Mal Graham explores the intersection of transformative AI and wild animal welfare.
💼 Jobs
Campus Education Coordinator, Switch4Good. Remote, US. Apply by 9 May.
Research Lead, Animals Australia. Remote, Australia and New Zealand. Apply by 11 May.
Several positions, The Good Food Institute. Remote, US.
Research Fellow, Cultivated Meat & Seafood. Apply by 12 May.
Research Fellow, Plant-Based Meat. Apply by 13 May.
Research Fellow, Fermentation LCA. Apply by 15 May.
Chief Executive Officer. Apply by 28 May.
Several positions, The Humane League. Remote, US.
Director of People - US. Apply by 13 May.
Animal Policy Alliance Program Lead. Apply by 16 May.
OWA Asia-Pacific Membership Lead, The Humane League. Remote, multiple locations in Asia. Apply by 15 May.
OWA Asia-Pacific Corporate Strategy Lead, The Humane League. Remote, multiple locations in Asia. Apply by 22 May.
Chief Operating Officer, Animal Advocacy Careers. Remote, worldwide.
Farm Animal Welfare Economist, Eurogroup for Animals. Remote, worldwide.
General Director, Animal Welfare Observatory. Remote, Spain.
Operations Manager, Macroscopic Venture. Remote, worldwide.
Senior Director, Finance, Tilt Collective. Remote, UK.
Job search tip: Browse Hive’s Jobs and Careers Resources and follow our Slack’s job feed in the #job-posting channel for new positions daily! You can also view the Animal Advocacy Careers, Tälist, Alt Protein Careers, and Probably Good job boards.
🔥 Opportunities
Probably Good compiles a list of animal welfare internships and fellowships.
The International Centre for Animal Rights and Ethics launches its Contemporary Issues in Animal Rights Law on-demand course.
The Prêmio Artigo Eficaz (Effective Article Prize) is an initiative to promote impactful academic research on global challenges, including animal welfare and food systems, in Brazil. Submit your article or essay by 30 June.
Vegan Hospitality is enrolling consultants into their upcoming Consultant Training Cohort that begins on 1 June.
💰 Funding
Challenge 22 accepts funding applications for up to $10,000 to kickstart vegan challenges in new countries and languages.
Fundraising tip: Hive’s Fundraising Guide includes an updated database of current opportunities, and key resources on how to fundraise.
🤝 Upcoming External Events
AVA Summit United States, 15–18 May. Los Angeles.
AI, Animals, & Digital Minds Conference, 30 May–1 June. London.
EA Global: London, 6–8 June. London.
Apply by 18 May for the biggest EAG yet, on track for 1,500+ attendees.
Animal Welfare Economics Working Group Annual Interdisciplinary Conference, 10–11 June. Paris.
Profit for Good Conference, 11 June. Amsterdam and Online.
The 6th Industrializing Cultivated Meat & Seafood Summit, 2–5 July. Boston.
PHAIR 2025 Animal Advocacy Conference, 2–5 July. Edinburgh.
EAGxNigeria, 11–13 July. Abuja.
AVA Summit Kenya, 17–20 July. Nairobi.
Events tip: View more on the Connect for Animals (CFA) event list and the Animal Rights Calendar.
📚 Research
Agora Agriculture publishes a policy paper on EU Member State food policies supporting healthy and sustainable consumption, including the promotion of plant-based foods and alternative proteins.
Animal Ask conducts a systematic review on the economics of fish farming and welfare in Europe; it also maps the industry and supply chain for farmed fish in Europe.
Erika Berglund identifies best practices for engaging with political staffers to strengthen legislative advocacy efforts to advance animal protection.
EU-funded study showcases efforts to diversify protein sources and reduce the environmental impact of food production.
Meredith Johnson and Meghan Barrett explore potential physiological operational welfare indicators for farmed insects. (Summary by Rethink Priorities.)
Researchers explore consumer preferences for plant proteins, revealing that awareness and familiarity play a significant role in acceptance and popularity.
Researchers find that vegetarian meals are twice as popular when presented as the default option, and consumers don't seem to mind.
🎙️ Podcasts
How I Learned to Love Shrimp:
Check out this list of books recommended by its first 50 guests over the last 2 years.
Our Hen House:
The Animal Law Podcast:
Can an S.P.C.A. Prevent Cruelty to Cows? with Alene Anello
Future of Foods Interviews:
To Understand FDA Regulation Speak to Senior Scientist with Eric Schulze
🎥 Videos
Litigating & Legislating for Animal Rights Seminar: World Aquatic Animal Day 2025 spotlights preventive bans against octopus farming.
The Vegan and Animal Rights Conference 2025 recordings are live. Here are several by Hive community members!
Business as Activism by David Pannell
Harnessing Social Media for Animal Advocacy Strategies for Impact by John Oberg and Robbie Locke
How the ‘Theft’ of Two Piglets Shut Down America’s Largest Factory Farm by Wayne Hsiung
Should Cats and Dogs Go Vegan? by Andrew Knight and Billy Nicholles
Show Me the Money: How We Can Make Economic Arguments Work for Animals by Thomas (Richie) Manandhar-Richardson
Stakeholder’s Analysis: A Way to Increase Effectiveness in the Animal Advocacy Movement by Camila Cortinez
Tactics in Practice: How to Protest Better by Björn Ólafsson
United for Change: Collaborative Strategies Against RSPCA Assured by Amy Odene, Ben Newman, Laila Kassam, and Matthew Glover
Unlocking New Campaign Targets with AI by Constance Li
✍️ Hive Community Survey 2024 Results
In early 2025, we conducted our 2nd annual community survey. 146 community members across 40 countries generously shared information about their participation in Hive, animal advocacy, and effective altruism throughout 2024. Thank you so much to everyone who responded! We gained valuable insights, including:
We’re capturing some–but not enough–of our global community’s voices.
Our community is highly engaged in animal advocacy and effective altruism.
Hive Slack is working well, but there are areas for improvement.
The Hive Resources program has some potential, but low awareness.
…and many more.
Dive deeper in our blog post!
🌏 Hive Around the World
This month, Hive is buzzing at two major events! We are so excited to learn from advocates from around the world, to better understand how Hive can support and connect everyone in our movement for greater impact.
🇨🇿 EAGxPrague, 9–11 May
Our Managing Director Kevin will be there hosting a Farmed Animal Welfare as well as an AI and Animals meetup. Join the conversations to meet fellow advocates and to explore how emerging tech intersects with animal advocacy!
🇺🇸 AVA Summit, 15–18 May
Our team would be thrilled to chat with you! Here are 4 ways to connect with Hive during the AVA Summit in the US! 👋
1️⃣ Visit us at the Come and Say Hi(ve) Meetup: Drop in for casual chats or swing by for a quick hello–starting at 8:15 so that you (and our team) can show up with coffee or tea in hand. RSVP in Whova, or just swing by!
2️⃣ Join us for Hive’s Buzz Session: What’s Next For You in the Movement? Meetup: This is a space for each of us to reflect, share questions, and explore our unique next steps in farmed animal advocacy. RSVP in Whova.
3️⃣ Say hi via the Whova app or in person whenever you see us at AVA, we’re so excited to see many new and familiar faces! We’ll be easy to spot! 🟠
4️⃣ Not joining the AVA Summit? We try to make Hive feel like an all-year-round conference, and now is a great time to say hi to any of our team on Hive Slack–we are just one message away. Let’s chat about your goals, and how Hive can help you take your next step! 🧡
We hope you have a fantastic AVA Summit, and look forward to meeting many of you!
Thanks for reading our Hive Highlights: early May 2025 edition 🧡 It’s made possible by the incredible work of animal advocates like you.
📰 Submit inclusions for the next edition: deadline is 26 May.
🐥 What do you think of this newsletter? Leave a public testimonial or share anonymously.
📬 We currently send two types of emails: our regular newsletter and the Slack Threads. You can choose which ones to receive by changing your notification settings.
To receive new posts and support our work at Hive, please consider becoming a subscriber.