But I think it is very difficult to achieve results this way, for several reasons:
1- Even if the beef industry wanted to push for welfare reforms for chickens, it would still be very hard. Almost all state-level animal welfare reform legislations in the US resulted from referendums allowed by those states’ constitutions. For the other states and federal level, I think it would require a tremendous push to achieve legislative progress.
2- Although the beef industry might indirectly gain “something” from broiler welfare reforms (higher prices for broilers --> beef being somewhat more price competitive). The poultry industry would directly lose “a lot” from broiler welfare reforms (higher costs). For that reason, even if the beef industry might consider pushing for broiler welfare reforms, they would immediately foresee that the poultry industry would be ready to die on this hill. So, since the beef industry (and its members) would not be willing to invest so much to achieve a slightly better price competition, it wouldn’t take long before they realize that their rival (the poultry industry) would be more willing to fight, thus will almost surely win the legislative battle through more lobbying and more resource channeling (and some other counter moves such as you pointed out). As a result of these game theory stages (?), it would be more rational for the beef industry not to even try to fight against the poultry industry.
But I agree that the most important thing to consider in farmed animal advocacy is the impact on chicken and fish. I had written another forum post arguing that increasing the supply of dairy in Asia and Africa (where dairy is scarce) might decrease the consumption of chicken, eggs, and fish in those populous and developing regions. I would be curious about what you think about it.
An interesting idea indeed!
But I think it is very difficult to achieve results this way, for several reasons:
1- Even if the beef industry wanted to push for welfare reforms for chickens, it would still be very hard. Almost all state-level animal welfare reform legislations in the US resulted from referendums allowed by those states’ constitutions. For the other states and federal level, I think it would require a tremendous push to achieve legislative progress.
2- Although the beef industry might indirectly gain “something” from broiler welfare reforms (higher prices for broilers --> beef being somewhat more price competitive). The poultry industry would directly lose “a lot” from broiler welfare reforms (higher costs). For that reason, even if the beef industry might consider pushing for broiler welfare reforms, they would immediately foresee that the poultry industry would be ready to die on this hill. So, since the beef industry (and its members) would not be willing to invest so much to achieve a slightly better price competition, it wouldn’t take long before they realize that their rival (the poultry industry) would be more willing to fight, thus will almost surely win the legislative battle through more lobbying and more resource channeling (and some other counter moves such as you pointed out). As a result of these game theory stages (?), it would be more rational for the beef industry not to even try to fight against the poultry industry.
But I agree that the most important thing to consider in farmed animal advocacy is the impact on chicken and fish. I had written another forum post arguing that increasing the supply of dairy in Asia and Africa (where dairy is scarce) might decrease the consumption of chicken, eggs, and fish in those populous and developing regions. I would be curious about what you think about it.