I vote that slowing intensification is a bit more likely to be the best use of resources at current margins. I agree that this probably has lower tractability and that, as @Moritz Stumpe 🔸 says, the African advocacy movement can’t effectively absorb as much funding and labour as the Asian movement. But I think there’s a very narrow window to slow the takeoff of sub-Saharan factory farming, and we should take the low-probability, high-EV, urgent bet while we can.
That said, I actually think that steering this takeoff, i.e. ‘welfare advoacy in future high production regions’, is probably a better use of resources than either slowing intensification or ‘welfare advocacy in neglected, high production regions’.
It’s a great question, Angel, and I strongly think everybody should feel highly uncertain—I feel very open to changing my mind. I’ve been researching the intensification of hen farming in sub-Saharan Africa for the past few months, so that informs my answer, but I don’t feel as informed about intensification in Latin America, or the intensification of aquaculture.
I vote that slowing intensification is a bit more likely to be the best use of resources at current margins. I agree that this probably has lower tractability and that, as @Moritz Stumpe 🔸 says, the African advocacy movement can’t effectively absorb as much funding and labour as the Asian movement. But I think there’s a very narrow window to slow the takeoff of sub-Saharan factory farming, and we should take the low-probability, high-EV, urgent bet while we can.
That said, I actually think that steering this takeoff, i.e. ‘welfare advoacy in future high production regions’, is probably a better use of resources than either slowing intensification or ‘welfare advocacy in neglected, high production regions’.
It’s a great question, Angel, and I strongly think everybody should feel highly uncertain—I feel very open to changing my mind. I’ve been researching the intensification of hen farming in sub-Saharan Africa for the past few months, so that informs my answer, but I don’t feel as informed about intensification in Latin America, or the intensification of aquaculture.
Thanks Ben. Excited to hear about your research! Please do share that with me/​us, as soon as it’s ready :)
also eagerly waiting for the research report.