There are many reasons why ending factory farming and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is an important cause area to dedicate your career towards. Some of the major reasons are its negative environmental impacts on the environment, threat to global health, perpetuation of animal suffering, and increased risk of pandemics.

Many people perceive ending factory farming as a career area that only non-profits can operate in and only animal-loving vegans work in this space. However, this is far from the truth as there are so many opportunities to make an impact in this area. The purpose of this guide is to show how anyone interested in ending factory farming can use their time, skills, and talent to help this cause. The primary focus of this guide is on careers as it provides a brief description of how various areas of study and career paths can be directed towards ending factory farming including suggestions on how to gain career capital for each career path as well as specific job examples. However, there is also a section near the end of this guide on non-career things anyone can do to help end factory farming. This guide is only meant to serve as a starting point for finding a career in this area since it consolidates some of the basic information for various career paths. Additional resources for further career information and advice as well as notes from interviews conducted for this guide are included at the end.

This guide is meant for people who meet one or more of the following:

• want to learn more about career opportunities related to ending factory farming

• are interested in alternative proteins

• care about helping animals and/or the environment

• aim to have an impactful or meaningful career

The target audience for this guide is students and early career professionals who hope to pursue a career that directly (or indirectly) helps to end factory farming. Also, much of this guide is still relevant to mid to late stage professionals who wish to pivot their career towards this cause area.

Since the movement to end factory farming is relatively new and fairly neglected, it is generally both funding and talent constrained. As such, it would greatly benefit from having more individuals pursuing careers in this space. However, there is a higher need for some jobs compared to others as indicated in Animal Advocacy Careers’ spot-check in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In particular, there is a talent bottleneck for science and engineering roles. 

The career profiles discussed in this guide are grouped by discipline and links to each profile are provided in the table of contents.   

This guide focuses on jobs in the alternative protein (plant-based meat, fermentation, and cultivated* meat) sector as well as jobs in animal welfare in so far as they aim to end or reduce reliance on factory farming and other unsustainable and unethical forms of animal agriculture (including aquaculture, insect farming, honey production, etc.). 

*a.k.a cultured meat, clean meat, cell-based meat, lab-grown meat, in-vitro meat

Note: This guide was written by people with minimal experience in this industry, but who consulted with people who are actively working in these career paths. As a result, the suggestions in this project are meant to act as a guideline and are by no means exhaustive and/or guaranteed to get one a job in this industry. 

The following are some simple actions that you can take to better prepare yourself to work in a career which aims to end factory farming. These are generalized things which are beneficial for anyone (especially those with limited experience in this area) to help you to become more employable in this area, regardless what career path you pursue.

1. Learn (to obtain a general overview of the why this is such an important area to work in as well as some potential solutions to solve this problem)

• take courses related to alternative proteins and animal welfare in school

• complete online courses related to alternative proteins and animal welfare

• read books and news articles related to alternative proteins and animal welfare

• watch movies/documentaries related to alternative proteins and animal welfare

• listen to podcasts related to alternative proteins and animal welfare

• look through GFI’s Alternative Protein Solutions Database to see what challenges the industry is facing then identify areas where you can help contribute to finding a solution

2. Volunteer (to gain a better understanding of the physical, legal, and social challenges involved in tackling the complex issue of factory farming)

• spend time volunteering for non-profit organizations and/or charities dedicated towards ending factory farming (volunteer postings)

• other volunteer options include doing: pro-bono work, research assistantships, case studies, and self projects (for example, this short brief on underexplored crops with the potential for plant-based meat)

3. Network (to hear about the latest developments/breakthroughs, build connections in the industry, as well as make more people aware of your interest in this area since when it comes to hiring, employers prefer to hire people that they already know)

• join the GFIdeas Community then connect with others in the community and add yourself to the GFI’s talent database (as well as the Blue Horizon Talent Network)

• cold email/call alternative protein companies and/or non-profit organizations dedicated towards ending factory farming

• attend alternative protein conferences and events to meet new people in the industry

• email the author of this guide (jeffraybehr@gmail.com) to put you in touch with others

4. Apply 

• apply for a one-on-one career advice call with Animal Advocacy Careers

• gain experience at a non-profit space/startup to understand what it is like to work in those environments and build transferable skills that could apply to other industries 

• gain experience in the food industry to understand how the food system works

Here are some job boards with positions relevant to ending factory farming:

• 80,000 Hours

• Alt Protein Careers

• Alt Protein Israel

• Animal Advocacy Careers

• Beyond Animal

• Blue Horizon*

• CellAgri

• Food+Tech*

• FoodHack*

• ForceBrands*

• GFI

• IndieBio*

• Pivot Food

• Protein Report

• Täilst

• Vegan Job Board

• Vegan Jobs

• VegNews

• Vegpreneur 

• Vevolution

*not specific to just jobs for ending factory farming

An outdated post about jobs in the alternative protein sector can be found here.

A list of companies in the alternative protein industry can be found here and here. 

A list of more organizations working on this problem can be found here.

Logo diagrams of organizations in the alternative protein industry can be found here.

There are numerous aspects to the study of biology which are relevant to developing alternative proteins. Firstly, animal and marine biologists can study the behaviour of various land and aquatic life to better understand their nervous systems and brains (to determine how they think and feel which could be useful for moral weighting) as well as identify what conditions led to illnesses when they are factory farmed. Human biologists can study the human health implications of consuming a diet with animal products compared to a diet of plant-based (or cultivated) foods (such as the SWAP-MEAT study). Pathogen biologists can study the transmission and development of zoonotic diseases between animals and humans. Also, they could assess how the overuse of antibiotics in factory farms will lead to greater human deaths due to antibiotic resistance. These would all help to provide stronger justification to health organizations and governments to move towards a future without factory farming. Plant biologists can explore the plethora of plant ingredients and evaluate them on their potential to be used in plant-based products in terms of providing protein, fat, structure, nutrients, taste, colour, smell, and other attributes. So little research has been done on this meaning there is an untapped potential to create new and novel plant-based products which could be even better than animal products, but have yet to be discovered. Cell/molecular biologists can assist with the development of cellular agriculture into viable products, particularly looking into cell line development, growth media formulation, cell differentiation, and target molecule selection, thereby making cultivated meat more viable. (Work on seafood and egg alternatives are currently more neglected so by working on these products, you would have a greater contribution). A lot of work done by biologists/scientists in academic research is very helpful to the cause overall since the results, once published, are open for everyone in the industry to learn from, as opposed to private companies where the research is often confidential.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Adipose Tissue Biologist at Hoxton Farms - design and execute experiments to develop the best adipose tissue culture system in the world

• Senior Scientist in Biology at Chunk - perform growth medium and strain screening and metabolic analysis experiments, and develop analytical methods for product performance, quality, and safety

• Biologist in Media Development at Future Meat - design and formulate culture media recipes, conduct laboratory work that requires high technical skill including hands on work with mammalian cell culture, metabolic analysis, and microscopy

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• getting a bachelor’s degree in biology (or a similar degree)

• following that, getting a more specific graduate degree or PhD (as having extensive experience with specific scientific methods and tools, data collection and analysis, and extensive knowledge of your field is essential if you are to make any substantial innovation in academia and most companies require this higher level education or 7+ years of experience)

• doing research during your studies in a relevant lab

• building experience through internships and volunteer projects

Additional information specific to biology can be found here (however, this is specific to cultivated meat). Also, interviews with some biologists working in the alternative protein industry can be found here.

Listen to an interview with Panagiotis Vlachogiannis, a Junior Specialist in Cell Nutrition at Nutreco.

Chemistry is useful for understanding the behaviour of molecules on a micro level which can be especially beneficial for protein binding and denaturation, fermentation, and other chemical reactions involved in the process of creating alternative proteins. Knowing how molecules interact with each is also helpful for developing the aroma, colour, taste, nutrient profile, and other attributes for alternative protein products. Physics is useful for understanding the development of the structure of ingredients on a macro level for plant-based meat forming/texturizing (i.e. extrusion) and scaffolding for cultivated meat as well as the processes and equipment involved in forming these products (i.e. shear cell technology, fibre spinning, and 3D printing).

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Biopolymer Scientist at Beyond Meat - develop novel solutions to improve the performance of biopolymer ingredients in the company products and create and characterise macromolecular interactions with a specific emphasis on the chemistry and hydrocolloids-starches-protein interactions

• Scientist, Protein Structuring at Simulate - identify new technologies in enzymology to structure plant-based polymers and characterise, develop, and optimise enzyme activity and protein-protein interactions in plant-based proteins

• Analytical Scientist Lead at The EVERY Company - oversee day-to-day lab activities, train lab technicians and chemists on the correct use of lab equipment, develop and implement SOPs, and review of instrument test data

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• getting a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or physics (or a similar degree)

• following that, getting a more specific graduate degree or PhD (as having extensive experience with specific scientific methods and tools, data collection and analysis, and extensive knowledge of your field is essential if you are to make any substantial innovation in academia and most companies require this higher level education or 7+ years of experience)

• doing research during your studies in a relevant lab

• building experience through internships and volunteer projects

Additional information specific to physics can be found here and chemistry can be found here (however, these are specific to cultivated meat).

Many people assume that there is little relevance between computer science and factory farming. However, this is not the case as programmers and people with a strong mathematical background are needed to figure out the optimal way to design alternative proteins and the equipment used to make them. Data analysis is used to process the data required for operations, scientific research, or product/business purposes including equipment sensors, bioreactor monitoring, genetic sequencing, consumer trends, etc. Two specific examples of this are creating data lakes by aggregating information from alternative protein manufacturers to improve processes and developing analytical tools for predicting plant-based ingredient performance. Another aspect of this career path is computational modelling which is extremely beneficial for understanding metabolic pathways and fluxes within cultivated meat, analysing cell differentiation into tissues and scaffold design for cultivated meat. Computational modelling would be extremely beneficial for assessing perfusion flow through scaffolds as well as for understanding how materials behave within an extruder to better predict what parameters will lead to certain product qualities. Artificial intelligence is also useful for assessing numerous combinations of proteins, optimising ingredients for plant-based meats (i.e. Climax Foods), and other applications which we haven’t thought of yet. Furthermore, creating apps which promote and educate on plant-based eating is another avenue that someone in this field could pursue. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at Shiru - build and maintain ETL pipelines to ingest data from a wide variety of public and proprietary sources, create data pipelines to capture, process, and store experimental design data from the lab

• Food Scientist (Artificial Intelligence) at The Not Company - participate in the design of new cognitive capabilities for the NotCo’s disruptive Artificial Intelligence technology

• Machine Learning Researcher at Hoxton Farms - build computational models and machine learning algorithms to develop an adipose tissue culture system

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a degree (preferably a Masters or PhD) in computer science, data analytics, computational modelling, statistics (or a similar degree)

• learning a programming language

• investigating data analysis techniques

• researching modelling applications within alternative proteins

Additional information specific to computational modelling can be found here and data analysis can be found here (however, these are specific to cultivated meat). Another resource is the Cultivated Meat Modelling Consortium. 

Listen to an interview with Erika Pilpré, a Sensory and Data Science Intern at Climax Foods.

Chefs may say that making food is an art, but actually there is a significant amount of science involved. The study of food science consists of how ingredients behave with other ingredients under various conditions, how combinations of ingredients evoke different sensory experiences (flavour, smell, texture, appearance), and how they can be produced in a safe and quality controlled manner. One of the most important factors consumers consider when purchasing food is taste (which is closely followed by texture). Alternative protein products will only gain consumer acceptance if they can mimic (or even exceed) the animal products which they are aiming to replace in terms of taste and texture. Food scientists are critical to developing alternative proteins such that these products can achieve this goal. Another aspect of food science is food safety. Helping to ensure that alternative protein food products are produced in a safe and controlled manner is critical to convincing consumers that these products are safe to consume as well as helps protect companies from any recalls, which could greatly harm their brand.   

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Analytical Flavor Scientist at Beyond Meat - develop analytical methods for isolation, detection, identification, and quantification of flavour/aroma molecules, and conduct discovery phase research and quantitative analysis using diverse instrumental techniques as applied to complex meat and food matrices

• Protein Scientist at GOURMEY - drive protein research to develop and improve products, design, develop, and execute biochemistry experiments, and connect the dots between molecular biology and food science

• Food Scientist at UPSIDE Foods - apply food engineering and technology concepts to develop cell-cultured seafood products, and develop lab/pilot scale unit operations, processes and apply existing/new formulations and processing techniques for consistent food product quality in compliance with regulatory requirements

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a degree (preferably a Masters or PhD) in food science (or a similar degree)

• exploring the various taste and texture profiles of animal and alternative protein products (to get a sense of what makes meat taste and feel the way it does and to better understand the sensory reception to non-animal ingredients)

• research food safety standards such as GMP, HACCP, BRC, SQF, etc. (here is a good starting point)

Listen to an interview with Julia Gil N. Martin, a Food Science Intern at Hoxton Farms.

Many medical professionals receive minimal education on nutrition and therefore lack a good understanding of the importance of diet on health. Some researchers have proven links between consuming animal products and numerous health issues including heart disease, colorectal cancer, and diabetes. In some cases, switching to a plant-based diet has been shown to reverse some of these conditions. Therefore, conducting more research on the health implications of eating animal products could better strengthen the argument of reducing meat, egg, and dairy consumption, thereby convincing more people to do so, especially those who are health conscious. Also, doctors and dieticians can encourage their patients to adopt a plant-based lifestyle by providing them with this empirical research. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Plant Based Registered Dietitian at Nutrition As Therapy - provide medical nutrition therapy to clients and support them in achieving their health goals

• Nutrition Consultant at Plant Based Foods Association - conduct nutrition policy research, analysis, and advocacy to advance nutrition policy initiatives

• Nutrition and Dietetic Technician (Registered) at Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen - break down recipes into nutritional and caloric contents as well as attend events to promote products and services

More information on job opportunities on plant-based nutrition can be found here and here.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a degree (preferably a Masters or PhD) in nutritional science (or a similar degree)

• reading academic papers and books related to health and diet (i.e. How Not To Die and The China Study) as well as Alternative Proteins: The nutritionists perspective and GFI’s Plant-based nutrition facts

• taking this course on plant-based nutrition

• conducting research (possibly through a research assistantship) on how a plant-based diet and/or alternative protein products have an impact on an aspect of human health 

Listen to an interview with Laura Hackl, a Nutrition Advisor to Plant Provisions and Terrabio.

Work on cultivated meat would greatly benefit from more bioengineers and other similar engineers working on biotechnology as they could help design cell scaffolding and tissue structuring as well as cell growth factor optimization. In addition, they could help scale up the production of cultivated meats to a level in which they could be mass produced including bioreactor design and bioprocess design.  

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Bioprocess Engineer at Hoxton Farms - design and execute experiments to help develop the best adipose tissue culture system

• Bioengineer at New Age Eats - support the bioprocessing R&D activities of the bioengineering department to validate methods, materials, and/or hardware to refine the bioprocess for cultivated meat 

• Research Associate in Strain Engineering at The EVERY Company - develop novel synthetic biology solutions as well as design, build, and test better genetic circuits for driving up animal protein production 

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a degree in bioengineering (biological, biomaterial, biomedical, or bioprocess engineering)

• interning at alternative protein companies in bioengineering research and development positions

• learning more about stem cell growth, cell scaffolding, tissue structuring, cultivated meat formulation/production, and bioreactor design

Listen to an interview with Anirvan Guha, a bioengineer and Head of Formulations at Multus.

In order to produce cultivated meat, particularly at scale, cultivated meat cells need to be grown in bioreactors, manufactured devices that support biologically active environments. Cell culture bioreactors are used extensively in the medical field to produce pharmaceuticals, vaccines, or antibodies and use cell lines that are specifically designed for medical applications. Chemical engineers can play a massive role in designing bioreactors for cultivated meat facilities, which will allow for these facilities to produce cells at large volumes with low complexity. Specifically, chemical engineers can help adapt bioreactors for cultivated meat cells, as opposed to the cell lines used in the medical industry. They can also develop and improve methods for adapting meat cells to suspension culture, as opposed to adherent cell culture (see this link to learn about adherent cell culture vs suspension cell culture). In addition, chemical engineers can discover and develop methods to capture useful side stream products that are produced during animal cell metabolism within cultivators, which can serve as an additional source of revenue for cultivated meat companies. Furthermore, process engineering including the production layout, manufacturing systems, and equipment procurement and commissioning, are generally done by chemical engineers.  

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Downstream Process Engineer at Cultivated Biosciences - lead the effort to develop processes to efficiently extract cream to improve the yield and make sure the yeast has properties for a desirable final product

• Process Associate, Fermentation Engineeringing at The EVERY Company - implement novel upstream processes to improve recombinant protein production

• Senior Product Life Cycle Engineer at Oatly - plan, execute and follow up product performance from lab and pilot scale to full scale factory trials and start-ups

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a degree in chemical (or food, manufacturing, process) engineering

• interning at alternative protein companies in equipment research and development positions

• learning more about food manufacturing processes and technology

Listen to an interview with Nicole Cheng, an Associate Process Development Engineer at Perfect Day.

Someone has to design the equipment used to make alternative proteins (i.e. extruders, shear cells, cultivated meat bioreactors, fermentors). This is where mechanical engineers could use their skills to help further develop the alternative protein space. One of the main reasons which prevents alternative proteins from gaining a greater portion of the global protein market is their currently higher cost compared to conventional protein sources (meat, eggs, and dairy). Creating better versions of the equipment used in producing alternative proteins could substantially help to bring down the cost of alternative proteins to become on par (or even cheaper) than conventional protein sources, leading to greater consumer sales to facilitate the transition to a food system with less animal products. Both designing novel food processing equipment and lab scale test systems involves physically building prototypes and often requires an understanding of mechanical systems, materials, GD&T, design and CAD modelling, and fabrication methods. This is usually a very hands-on role. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Mechanical Engineer at Beyond Meat - lead the design of products and systems from concept to prototyping to pilot testing to production capacity deployment

• Food Production Research Engineer at Rebellyous Foods - design, build, and test novel food manufacturing equipment to scale up production

• Senior Mechanical Engineer at Rival Foods - formulate specifications and requirements, engineer technical concepts together with the engineering team, and design detailed machine

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a degree in mechanical (or mechatronics, materials, industrial) engineering

• interning at alternative protein companies in equipment research and development positions

• gaining practical experience constructing prototypes

• learning more about food manufacturing processes and technology

Listen to an interview with Bryce Rogers, an Associate Engineer of Bioreactor Development at Edge Foods, and Natlie Fernandez, an aspiring mechanical engineer in the alternative protein industry.

As alternative proteins companies continue to scale up, they will move beyond pilot scale facilities and co-manufacturers to make their products. This means they will aim to build their own production plants, like Plant & Bean in the U.K., which will require numerous engineers. Automation engineers are needed to set up the controls for the equipment and can assist with developing automated systems for producing alternative protein products to help reduce costs. Civil (and mechanical) engineers (as well as architects) can design the structure of these plants to handle the loads as well as HVAC and plumbing requirements. Electrical engineers would be responsible for installing the electrical systems within the plant. (electrical engineers could also be useful for biosensor development for bioreactors). Currently, most roles in this field are in the plant-based sub sector as they are already in the commercialization and mass production phase, but there are still some pilot plants being built in the cultivated and fermentation sub sectors. Engineers could help repurpose facilities to make alternative proteins and develop open-access model production facility blueprints.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Automation Engineer at Unicorn Biotechnologies - automating biological processes and workflows, to spearhead engineering initiatives, prototype tools, work with hardware, embedded microcontrollers, PCBs, etc.

• Electrical Project Engineer at Food Plant Engineering - design electrical distribution systems, lighting, and motor/process controls in industrial facilities

• Civil/Environmental Engineer at Black & Veatch - design the structural layout of the food production facility and assess the environmental impact

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all engineering fields related to ending factory farming. More relevant types of engineering fields can be found here (however, these are specific to cultivated meat). 

The importance of science and engineering roles in the alternative protein industry is further elaborated upon here.

More information specific to technical roles in both science and engineering related to alternative proteins can be found here.

The chart below summarises what types of scientists and engineers are needed for the fields of plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived products. 

Also, check out GFI’s Collaborative Research Directory to find others working on similar problems and reach out to them to learn more or apply to be a research fellow in one of their labs.

HI-Eng has a resource portal for alternative proteins that provides guidance for mainly engineering roles in the alternative protein industry. 

There is little understanding of why people kill animals, eat meat, and exploit some animals for food. Anthropologists can delve into how various civilizations developed cultures around the slaughtering and consumption of animals which may provide answers to some of these questions. This knowledge would be useful for formulating better arguments against the consumption of animal products and is beneficial to alternative protein and animal welfare marketers. Historians can investigate how animal agriculture practices have evolved into the factory farms of today as well as researching how common myths about vegetarianism/veganism came to exist (i.e. you can’t get enough protein on a vegan diet, vegans are hippies). Learning from the experiences of the past could enable one to identify ways to transition to a more plant-based food system and improve vegetarianism/veganism messaging moving forward. Religious scholars can analyze how religious texts perceive the well-being of animals and acceptance of eating meat. Some cultures involve the sacrifice of an animal for certain traditions. By questioning the relevance of killing animals in the modern world and whether this is what “god” intended may help people to see that the relationship between their beliefs may not be aligned with their actions. Religious scholars can argue to the appropriate regulation committees for cultivated meat to be considered halal and/or kosher based on interpretations from religious texts. If cultivated meat is considered halal and/or kosher, that would greatly increase its potential market size as well as help with consumer acceptance. 

There are not any advertised job openings for roles in these areas specifically on the topic of ending factory farming so you would have to make your own job by doing research in the areas noted above.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• exploring the relationship various civilizations had with treating/ eating animals

• reading about the establishment of factory farming as well as vegetarianism/veganism movements

• researching the links between religion and animals   

Starting points for anthropology can be found here, here, here, and here. Starting points for history can be found here, here, here and here. Starting points for religion can be found here, here, here, and here.

As the alternative protein market continues to grow, the meat industry has tried to find various ways to oppose alternative proteins’ infringement on its industry. For example, some states tried to implement laws which prevented plant-based burgers from being labelled as “burgers”. Alternative protein companies need strong lawyers to defend against these sorts of nomenclature attacks as well potential intellectual property and trademark disputes with other companies. Also, once cultivated meat is approved, it is likely that some states may file a lawsuit against the labelling of these products (as done with plant-based meat products) so lawyers will be needed to protect the cultivated meat companies from these lawsuits. Furthermore, “ag-gag” laws which aim to punish whistleblowers and undercover activists for recording footage of what goes on in factory farms, have deterred many potential undercover investigators from entering factory farms. Lawyers could defend those prosecuted under “ag-gag” laws to claim that the law violates First Amendment rights. 

Another aspect of law is regulation development. Lawyers and food law experts are a critical component to helping alternative protein companies obtain regulatory approval for their products in various countries and regions, especially since most alternative protein products are quite novel and have to go through complex approval processes. This is particularly true for the European Union where the European Food Safety Authority has specific legislation for “novel foods”. When Singapore became the first country in the world to give regulatory approval for cultivated meat in 2020, it was likely the beginning of a transition to a food system with more alternative proteins as it signalled to other countries that there is a path forward for viable adoption of cultivated meat. However, no other country has done this as there are many regulatory issues regarding the legality of selling cultivated meat. Although, in the U.S., the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they’d established a framework for regulating cell-based meat; it is still preliminary, and it leaves some important questions unanswered, including labelling. However, the legal team at UPSIDE Foods was able to get a “no questions” letter from the FDA for its cultivated chicken product. Doing policy work with the regulatory approval agencies to speed up the process allowing for the regulatory sale of cultivated meat and ensuring that it will have fair labelling would be very beneficial. 

An example of a role in this area is: 

• Lead Regulatory Counsel at The Good Food Institute - develop clear regulatory pathways for cultivated meat in the United States and abroad to ensure that alternative proteins do not face undue regulatory burdens

You could work for Animal Legal Defense Fund, Vegan Society’s International Rights Network, Droit Animalier Québec, or Animal Justice.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a law degree

• doing legal work (ideally in the food industry)

• researching past court cases about plant-based meat labelling and “ag-gag” laws

• reading about the regulatory approval processes and laws in that alternative protein products must adhere to as well as Towards a Vegan Jurisprudence   

Listen to an interview with Mathilde Do Chi, a vegan food law consultant.

There currently is a limited understanding of how and why animals behave. Having more research into this would enable humans to have a better sense of animals’ intelligence, sentience, capacity to suffer, and other attributes which are “human-like”. If there is greater confidence that pigs, for example, can have aspirations, then there would be a stronger moral argument against eating them. Philosophers could use these analyses to contemplate and propose moral weights for various types of animals (i.e. how much should the life of a cow be valued compared to a chicken, fish, or insect). 

In addition, the alternative protein industry could be greatly improved by gaining more insights into human psychology and sociology. Specifically, answering questions such as: what are the main mental motivators and social determinants which lead people to either buy or not buy alternative proteins, how do people react to different alternative protein marketing approaches (i.e. what name for meat grown from cells are consumers most likely to accept/purchase), and what emotions are associated with various texture and taste profiles. This will help alternative proteins gain a greater share of the protein market through improved consumer acceptance, awareness, and accessibility. 

Jobs in this career area include animal sentience philosopher, marketing psychologist, and animal sociologist.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• studying the behaviour of factory farmed animals or the psychology of consumers

• reading journals articles and research papers related to animal consciousness/ sentience or marketing

• completing a thesis on a topic relevant to this area such as the moral considerations of eating animals or the well being of animals on factory farms 

Books on these subjects include Animal Liberation, Defining Critical Animal Studies, and Zoopolis. More information on moral weights can be found here and some philosophical animal welfare research questions can be found here. A brief overview on the psychology of eating meat can be found here. Articles about the psychology of becoming vegan can be found here and here. An article about psychology & veganism can be found here. This thesis is a sociological analysis of the vegan/vegetarian movement. Articles about the sociology of veganism can be found here and here. 

You can also read the interview notes with Jason Schukraft, a Senior Staff Researcher at Rethink Priorities.

Listen to this podcast, with vegan psychologist Clare Mann where she discusses the Psychology of Veganism and breaking the trance. You can also listen to this podcast and this podcast with Chris Bryant who discusses the psychology surrounding cultivated meat.

Lobbying for improving animal welfare policies and developing regulations to reduce meat production has been very impactful in the past. People doing this policy work can help to establish laws to create better conditions for farmed animals and make meat production less profitable (i.e. reducing the line speed of meat processing facilities improves worker conditions, results in fewer processing errors such as boiling live chickens, and lowers the production of meat). One of the major reasons that conventional meat is so cheap is because of subsidies to animal agriculture. By lobbying for the elimination of these subsidies (or shift of these subsidies towards alternative proteins), one could greatly speed up the timeline for alternative proteins to reach price parity with conventional meat. In addition to lobbying, those working in the political environment can allocate more government spending (through research grants such as the National Science Foundation) towards research into developing better alternative protein products.

A lobbying organization which offers internship and short-term contract opportunities is Food Solutions Action.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a political science or public policy degree

• interning or volunteering for a politician

• running for local political positions (possibly for animal welfare parties such as The Animal Protection Party of Canada)

• gaining an in-depth understanding of the current landscape of the animal and human welfare policies in the meat industry as well as the subsidy framework

Additional information specific to politics, policy, and lobbying related to alternative proteins can be found here. The European Commission’s report on the Evaluation of the EU strategy on Animal Welfare can be found here.

You can also read the interview notes from a Policy Organizer at Democracy Policy Network.

Listen to an interview with Luke Spajic, a Policy & Plenitude Project Coordinator at ENOUGH.

Accounting and animals may not seem to go together, however, accountants have an in-depth understanding of the financial picture of organizations thus allowing them to identify opportunities to reduce cost inefficiencies. Figuring out where to bring down the cost of alternative proteins is critical to alternative proteins capturing a greater share of the protein market. Also, accountants are able to calculate the metrics such as price-to-earning ratio, free cash flow, and return on equity, which are required to convince potential investors and donors to provide funding. In addition, all organizations, whether they are in this industry or not, require accounts to do their basic bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial management. These types of roles will become more prevalent as the companies and organizations within this industry continue to grow (as the finances can become more complex, esecially once a company is publicly traded). Accountants can help ensure that alternative protein companies and animal welfare NGOs are following the correct financial procedures and documentation so that they pass when audited as well as correctly file taxes. Failing an audit or being accused of tax fraud can have disastrous effects on an organization causing them to lose credibility and tarnish the public's perception of the movement to end factory farming as a whole. Furthermore, accountants can assist with grant applications as well as finding financing opportunities for large purchases.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• graduating from an accredited accounting program (i.e. becoming an chartered professional accountant)

• understanding the cost of goods sold of alternative proteins (and the bottlenecks in the industry to reduce it)

• assessing the financial outlook of alternative protein companies by reviewing their balance sheets and income statements from their annual stakeholder report (here is one from Beyond Meat)

• figuring out ways to improve the metrics which investors and donors evaluate organizations on

• familiarizing yourself with the tax rules and requirements, grant application processes, and financing opportunities

• gaining accounting experience in non-alternative protein companies 

You can also read the interview notes with Stephen Rykwalder, an Internal Auditor at Watsco, Inc.

In current societies based on capitalism, economics is an essential aspect to consider to ensure growth and longevity. Movements (such as ending factory farming) will only prevail if there is an economic incentive to do so. As such, economists can have a large impact on the future of our food system. Some specific examples of analyses which economists can conduct include:

• assessing how shifting the subsidies currently provided to animal agriculture would impact the price of alternative proteins if it was put towards the crops used to make alternative proteins

• determining the true cost of meat considering all of the externalized costs such as environmental (land, air, and water) pollution, water scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, factory farm worker exploitation, human healthcare, etc.

• investigating the amount of spending put towards healthcare for treating diseases which have been linked to consumption of animal products such as cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and diabetes as well as the impact of increased antibiotic resistance and food-borne illnesses resulting from factory farming on future healthcare costs

• predicting how the cost of cultivated meat will decrease and the associated impact on its share of the global protein market over time 

• evaluating the benefits to a nation’s economy that a factory farming free food system would yield

The results of these analyses could be used to convince governments, corporations, investors, and the general public to realize the financial benefit of transitioning to a food system without factory farming.

There aren’t any advertised roles in this area, but you could conduct these analyses working for an NGO or as an independent contractor. Examples of people doing work in this area are Philip Lymbery and David Robinson Simon.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• obtaining a degree in economics

• exploring research articles on some of the topics noted above (such as this, this, this, this, and this)

• read books such as Meatonomics and Farmageddon

Additional resources include papers on how economists can help to improve animal welfare and the economic aspects of animal welfare.

If alternative proteins are to ever have a chance at replacing meat as the primary source of the world’s protein, then substantial effort must be made in the private sector to make them commercially viable. Entrepreneurship is critical to this as the more businesses that are involved in creating alternative proteins, the greater the likelihood that one or more of them will be successful. Although there are hundreds of alternative protein companies, it is believed that in this industry there are so many opportunities for new developments that the market is not yet oversaturated (although it may be in some categories, such as burgers, but not so much in other areas, such as seafood). Therefore, new companies can still come into existence without diminishing the chance of success of other companies. People who are innovative thinkers, have a lot of grit, and great people skills are best suited to pursue this path. However, it should be noted that there is a high risk of failure and involves a tremendous amount of perseverance. 

The primary job option in this career path is starting your own alternative protein or animal welfare company or non-profit organization.

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• working for a start-up (to see how a business gets off the ground)

• speaking with founders of successful companies or organizations (ideally in the alternative protein or animal welfare sectors)

• reading business books or taking business courses (as it is very important that founders have a foundational knowledge on all aspects of business, especially investment as raising capital is one of the most critical roles of a startup founder)

• attending an incubator program (either through a university or startup accelerator such as Y Combinator)

If you’re interested in starting a non-profit, you can apply for Charity Entrepreneurship’s Incubation Program (successful graduates include Heather Hens and Shrimp Welfare Project) and apply for funds from EA Animal Welfare Fund by submitting a request for proposal.

GFI has a guide to entrepreneurship within the alternative protein space as well as a startup manual and a list of incubators. ProVeg also has an accelerator program.

Listen to an interview with Ahmed Khan, the founder and editor of CellAgri, a news and research startup that aims to be a hub for the emerging field of cellular agriculture.

Human resource roles are an essential part of every organization (both for-profit and nonprofit) because they ensure that all employees are treated fairly (keeping them motivated to stay with the organization), help resolve conflicts that could undermine the success of the organization, and hire outstanding people to help grow the organization. Recruitment is such a vital part of any organization as it is the team that really determines success. Finding talent that is highly skilled and motivated as well as mission-aligned can be quite challenging and it takes someone with a knack for crafting enticing job descriptions and screening resumes as well as having a decent understanding of the industry to be effective in this role. Since many alternative protein companies and animal welfare NGOs are relatively small, they often lack strong HR departments due to their limited staffing and budget. Therefore, by working in the HR department of one of these organizations, you can have a high counterfactual impact as well as a greater influence on the success of the organization. Human resources work is critical to maintaining a positive work environment for employees to ensure they don’t burn out.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Sr. Payroll Specialist at Amy’s Kitchen - perform payroll-related functions, review and verify payroll data, audit and verify all new hires and rehires, prepare manual checks and paycard payments

• Senior Performance & Talent Manager - HRBP at Eat Just - lead and direct the development employee relations practices, develop and implement a framework for career path, career development, and performance management, partner with the People team to foster a high performance and accountability culture

• Recruiter at Siete Foods - manage the recruiting candidate experience including vetting resumes, interviewing candidates, administering assessments and reference checks, manage applicant tracking system, and source talent

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• acquiring a professional degree in human resources

• obtaining a PHR or SHRM certification

• developing exceptional emotional intelligence and soft skills (i.e. communication, conflict resolution)

• becoming well versed in payroll, policy development, labour laws, and hiring, by working in the HR department of another organization 

Listen to an interview with Pia Voltz, an Alternative Protein Talent Recruiter at Tälist. 

Investment capital has enormous relevance to ending factory farming, and those working in the finance and investment sector have the potential to greatly influence the transition to a more sustainable and ethical food system. This can be achieved by identifying investment opportunities in alternative protein companies, promoting and convincing investment in these companies, and predicting the trends in the alternative protein industry as a way to determine which investments will be the most profitable for shareholders. Venture capital has historically been the primary means of financing these early stage companies, and will remain important. However, there is growing recognition of a need in the infrastructure required to scale production of alternative proteins. The production facilities used to make alternative protein products are capital intensive and the financing is better suited to more infrastructure and project finance types of investments. Through putting more capital into alternative protein companies (and away from animal agriculture companies), it will increase the likelihood of success of these companies as well as the speed at which they are able to grow, thereby helping them to gain a bigger portion of the protein market faster. Government funding will not alone support this transition, so private investment is needed.

Investment jobs include stock brokers, portfolio managers, investment analysts, and venture capitalists. Organizations in this area are BERA PARTNERS, Blue Horizon, and Vevolution.  

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a degree in business or economics

• tracking the stock and press releases of alternative protein companies

• gaining exposure to the investment world by working or interning for an investment company

There are many investment opportunities in the alternative protein space. Some publicly traded companies are BYND, OTLY, STKH, and VERY, but there are also diversified stocks/ETFs including CULT, EATS, VEGN, and VEGT. A list of cultivated meat stocks can be found here and lists of vegan stocks can be found here, here, and here. 

Some of GFI’s resources in this space include: Investing in alternative protein, Investor due diligence support, Alternative protein company fundraising database, and Investment related problem areas for alternative proteins.

Listen to an interview with Nate Crosser, a Venture Capital Investor at Blue Horizon.

Every company and organization needs managers as they oversee strategic plans to ensure they are met as well as guide others to support them in achieving their goals. In order for alternative protein and animal welfare organizations to be successful, they require exceptional people in management positions to lead teams and direct them towards the organization’s mission. Effective managers are motivational, attentive listeners, and reflective. Although they don’t do the hands-on/frontline work, they are a vital part of any organization and since these organizations are relatively young, powerful managers could have a large influence and really make progress towards initiating change to a food system without factory farms. Especially as these organizations begin to grow beyond teams with more than 50 people and the operations become more complex, it will become even more important that people and projects are managed effectively, otherwise, the organization will stagnate or fail. To get into this career path, it is best to start off in small management roles and gradually work your way up to more senior positions as you learn more management strategies.

Management roles within organizations include project team leaders, operations managers, chief operating officers, vice presidents, executive directors, board members, etc. A few specific jobs are:

• Manufacturing Manager at Mission Barns - manage the operations of cell culture using manufacturing equipment, collaborate with others to achieve team goals

• Contracts Manager at Impossible Foods - assess requests for agreements and review, draft, and negotiate a high-volume of commercial agreements

• Business Development Manager at Oatly - develop business and marketing strategies, identify growth opportunities, and implement profitability objectives

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• developing strong leadership skills through attending leadership training courses

• honing soft skills such as project management, organization, communication, etc.

• building experience in managing teams and/or projects at companies/non-profits

• reading books about what makes a successful manager

Additional information specific to management within the alternative protein space can be found here. 

Listen to interviews with Ella Wong, the Head of Design and Operations at The Good Growth Co., Erin Zhang, a Business Development Executive at Green Monday, and Andrew Sayles, a Business Operations Manager at Mission Barns.

Marketers are essential to expanding the alternative protein industry and animal welfare movement. Skilled marketers bring forth messages in a way that resonates with the general public and makes them want to purchase alternative protein products or donate to animal welfare nonprofits. Key skills for this role include knowing how to appeal to the emotional and rational parts of the brain, conveying engaging stories/messages, understanding the target audience and their biases, summarizing complex information succinctly, determining how/where to advertise, etc. Most alternative protein companies are fairly new and small, and they have to compete with the animal agriculture corporations which have well established brands, a dedicated consumer following, and vast marketing budgets. In addition, they compete with other alternative protein companies for the few consumers who currently eat their products. As a result, strong advertising campaigns are essential for these companies to grow. Creative and out-of-the-box ideas have helped some alternative protein companies stand out and remain memorable. An example of this is the Oatly Super Bowl LV ad. The animal welfare movement has struggled to find the optimal messaging to convince people to empathize with animals and perhaps focusing more on the negative environmental impacts of factory farming or the health benefits of a plant-based diet may be a more appealing argument. Marketers could help develop this type of messaging.  

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Director of Marketing at Finless Foods - develop, manage, and execute the annual marketing strategy, commission and utilize market research

• Brand Manager at Califia Farms - lead product management, portfolio management, innovation and marketing activation and understand market trends

• Consumer Experience Associate at Harmless Harvest - develop scripts for FAQs and quality problems as well as identify issues, patterns and trends in consumer comments/inquiries

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a degree in marketing

• learning about copywriting, graphic design, social & digital media, and advertising

• staying up-to-date with the latest marketing tools 

A great resource is GFI’S guide for marketing alternative proteins. Marketing research resources can be found here.

Listen to an interview with Katie Nehmer, the Sales Manager at Plant Based World Expo North America and Rebecca Palmer, the Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries.

Building a unique and respectable brand is critical to alternative protein companies as they aim to gain more consumers. Ensuring that the public trusts the brand is very important. Maintaining positive communications with celebrity spokespeople, the media, sponsors, and investors is another duty of someone in this role. As the alternative protein industry continues to gradually infringe on the meat industry’s portion of the protein market, the meat industry may start campaigns against alternative protein companies to taint their reputation. It is the responsibility of those working in public relations to defend against these attacks. In addition, those working in corporate engagement would build positive relationships with these companies, potentially encouraging them to improve their animal welfare standards, and/or providing alternative protein options.

You could work in the public relations department of an alternative protein company or NGO, animal welfare charity, or be self-employed as a consultant to offer marketing services to these organizations. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Corporate Engagement Coordinator at the Good Food Institute - create compelling website, newsletter, and event content and support the team in engaging directly with food industry stakeholders

• Customer Service Representative at NotCo - handle customer service for Canadian market and maintain contact with 3PL partners and customers 

• Digital Communications Manager at Biovegan - responsible for the conception, strategy, organization, implementation and control of digital communication with a focus on social media and influencer marketing

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• following the news of the alternative protein and animal welfare sectors

• networking with people dedicated towards ending factory farming as well as those in the meat industry (to foster positive relationships)

• attending events related to alternative proteins and/or animal welfare

• honing your communication skills through public speaking, facilitating interviews, writing opinion pieces, etc.   

Information about public relations can be found here. GFI provides corporate engagement support.

You can also read the interview notes with Lucas Solowey, a Public Relations Consultant.

Listen to an interview with Maille O'Donnell, a Corporate Engagement Coordinator at the Good Food Institute and Angel Li, Plenitude Project Manager & Policy at ENOUGH.

All organizations need to establish supply chains for their resources such as plant protein ingredients, growth media, packaging, or even money/donations. This is where supply chain and logistics managers are needed. A reliable source of incoming resources is essential (as well as finding back-up suppliers in the event of a shortage) for ensuring the ongoing operation of any organization and is especially true for the food industry which generally has high product turnaround. Warehouses require meticulous management and precise inventory stock. Logistics also includes coordinating with delivery services to make sure that product is sent and received in a timely manner (otherwise the product could spoil). Must be familiar with basic accounting and financial management including issuing purchase orders.

Logistics roles within organizations include supply chain managers, purchasing managers, inventory administrators, procurement specialists, distribution analysts, logistic coordinators, etc. 

A few specific jobs are:

• Logistics Manager at NotCo - manage and optimize outbound freight, evaluate efficiencies and cost savings opportunities, warehouse account management

• Supply Chain Analyst at Califia Farms - lead the local S&OP business process, provide category and SKU demand signals across channels

• Procurement Analyst at Meati - implement a consumables purchasing plan, maintain inventory stocks, material sourcing, oversee the day-to-day operations

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• learning about supply chain management practices 

• working with enterprise resource planning systems and other management software such as Syspro/SAP

• becoming familiar with procurement and purchasing procedures

Problem areas for alternative protein distribution are noted here. Listen to an interview with Brenna Taylor, the Senior Supply Chain and Logistics Manager at Rebellyous Foods.

Actors, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities can promote plant-based living. They can do this on their own by word of mouth and via social media and to have an even greater impact, they can team up with businesses, dieticians, documentaries, media, nonprofits, etc. to further expand their reach. Their celebrity status can greatly influence others to change their diet as they often have a large following who are more likely to adopt something, if they do. A few examples of celebrities who are helping to end factory farming are Joaquin Phoenix (especially his Oscar acceptance speech), Scott Jurek, and Billie Eilish, and Kim Kardashian.

Journalism is essential when it comes to helping animals. Journalists bring the stories to the public that they otherwise would not know about. This can be anything from the latest alternative protein products, including their benefits and availability, to animal abuse that is typically hidden from society. Exposing some of these issues will help to better inform people and may get them to rethink their pre-existing notions about factory farming. Different outlets for journalism exist, including (but not limited to) newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books. Examples of effective alternative protein / animal welfare journalism are Green Queen, Plant Based News, Vegconomist, VegNews, Vegpreneur, Vevolution, and Vox.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Content Writer/Copyright Writer at FIAPO - write stories/content for newsletters, blogs, mailers, promotional materials, reports, and drafts for press releases

• Headline Writer at PETA - write catchy, exciting headlines for dozens of news articles, action alerts, emails, blogs, op-eds, and other articles daily 

• Library Writer at Faunalytics - reading academic studies and writing summaries for the animal advocacy community

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• publish “how to” articles and listicles

• earning a post-secondary degree in journalism (which will teach you the ethics of journalism, develop the required skills, and give you credibility)

• volunteering to write for non-profit organizations or smaller publications (you can backlink these as references to your writing capabilities when pitching via email)

However, if journalism is not a career path for you, but rather something you can dedicate time to in order to help occasionally, brief training is available for smaller journalism projects. Several animal advocacy organizations, such as Animal Justice Academy, hold workshops to help train people to write op eds and submission magazine submission pieces. Also, you can join the International Association of Culinary Professionals which includes writers, cookbook authors, and food critics.

Listen to an interview with George Stiffman, a tofu author and evangelist. You can also read the interview notes with Jessica Scott-Reid, a freelance writer.

An effective way to get people to care about animals, the environment, and/or their health, is to tell them a story. Great pictures/films elicit powerful sentiments and tell meaningful stories since “a picture says 1,000 words” (and a video says even more). This is the role that a visual artist can play in the fight to eliminate factory farming. There are many ways that visual designers can contribute. Firstly, designing media art such as campaign graphics for animal welfare NGOs and advertisements and packaging for alternative protein products, will help bring awareness of animal suffering and entice people to stand up against it. Photography is important for product photoshoots as well as illustration (e.g. Vegtoons). Secondly, making films which highlight the impacts of factory farming as well as editing footage from undercover investigations to strategically evoke strong emotional responses can be very beneficial to this cause. Some successful documentaries on this subject include The Game Changers, Cowspiracy, What The Health, and Forks Over Knives. (Learn more about how to produce a documentary, even when you don’t yet have a budget or any experience, in the interview notes with Zehra Abbas, a Filmmaker for Seegrey Productions). Thirdly, developing websites for organizations that have the goal of ending factory farming can really help them to attract new users, retain existing users, and convey information effectively. Since many of these organizations are small, they often don’t prioritize web development so their user engagement suffers as a result.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Graphic Designer at Califia Farms - conceptualize engaging and on-brand graphics, connect brand strategy with design, and building quality files that are compatible with the print or digital process

• Social Media Video Editor at Beyond Meat - create, shoot, and edit social content for Beyond Meat social channels and will serve as a liaison between social and creative teams to find solutions for the "look" & "feel" of our social assets

• Web Developer at World Animal Protection - create compelling digital experiences as well as contribute to the development of a wider digital strategy

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• practicing a specific form of art (building a portfolio)

• gaining experience with photoshop, video editing, and/or web development software

• investigating successful advertisements online (especially social media), in the news, and on packaging

• working, interning, or volunteering at a small organization (preferably related to animal welfare or alternative protein) 

Listen to an interview with Sandra Einvall, a Graphic Designer and founder of Fikat.

Advocating for animals is important as they do not have a voice in our society to speak for themselves so people must advocate on their behalf. Advocacy work consists of 3 main target audiences: citizens, corporations, and governments. It can be highly impactful as it can influence others to change their diet (thus reducing the demand for meat) and more importantly, it can lead to industry changes (such as adding more plant-based options) and governments implementing policies (i.e. slower plant processing speeds to reduce meat production). In addition, it can help build the movement, raise awareness, and expand the community. Working in countries with no to minimal animal advocacy movements can make your specific impact much greater (compared to working in countries with existing advocacy movements). Advocacy work is highly impactful, evidenced by the increase in the percentage of cage-free hens in the U.S. from 6% in 2015 to 29% in 2021 which is a direct result of animal activists campaigning to various food corporations. Jobs in this sector are primarily working for animal advocacy NGOs and include activist, campaign leader, lobbyist, corporate engagement officer, and event planner.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Corporate Engagement Specialist at The Good Food Institute - build relationships with major established companies and influencing them to invest in alternative proteins, stock more and create new alternative protein products

• Campaign Leader at PETA - conduct PETA's work with major corporations

• Public Outreach Manager at Humane Society International - identify viable, and potential geographic areas of work and species of importance, as well as fosters and maintains working relationship with key government stakeholders

You can build career capital to get into this area by

• researching effective advocacy campaigns/techniques (lots of resources here)

• practice delivering convincing arguments to friends, family, and others about why factory farming should end

• developing strong management, communication, and organizational skills

Additional information specific to advocacy careers can be found here. Other great resources include Food For Life and the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy which also runs courses. There’s even an animal advocacy group for Africa (Animal Advocacy Africa). Also, notes from interviews with animal activists can be found here.

Listen to an interview with Angel Li, Plenitude Project Manager & Policy at ENOUGH.

All nonprofits need funding and since they don’t generate profit, they rely solely on donations to fund their programs, which makes fundraising very important. The greater the funds raised, the more work the nonprofit is able to achieve (ideally corresponding to a larger influence). Most nonprofits are generally underfunded so have a lot more room for funding (meaning that they could easily use significantly more money before reaching a point where it would be used ineffectively or be wasted). This is evidenced by the fact that over 99.6% of domesticated land animals used and killed by humans in the United States, are farmed land animals, but they only receive 0.8% of donations to animal charities. The effectiveness of fundraising work can yield between 300% and 900% return on investment for organizations. There are numerous forms of fundraising including public campaigns, peer-to-peer, corporate, trusts, grants, etc. Fundraising roles are not usually often desirable within organizations, which makes their counterfactually impact high as well as ensures better job security. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Fundraising Manager at Veganuary - develop email marketing appeals, write grant proposals, optimize and manage development database, and keep regular contact with donors and other stakeholders

• Grant Writer at Humane Action Pittsburgh - prepare proposals, grant applications, and supporting documentation by researching, identifying, developing, and responding to grant opportunities in order to procure funds for operating expenses and specific projects/campaigns

• Major Gifts Officer at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - oversee donor relations and the cultivation of new supporters as well as find innovative ways to keep existing supporters informed of campaign progress

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• reading about the psychology of donating, marketing, and fundraising 

• honing your persuasive writing abilities (such as writing articles for a paper, magazine, or journal)

• growing your network to build strong relationships

• gaining a basic understanding of managing finances (either personal or for a small business, club, association, or organization)

Additional information specific to fundraising careers can be found here. Resources for effective animal welfare fundraising can be found here and here. A great book about how to fundraise effectively is The Generosity Network. Also, notes from interviews with fundraisers at animal welfare NGOs can be found here.

Many animal welfare NGOs recruit average people to work in factory farms and conduct undercover investigations (usually by wearing hidden cameras) to document poor practices within the factories. This footage is then used in court cases as well as in the media to illustrate the horrific treatment of animals in these factories, which can be quite impactful. This job is fairly easy to get since it requires no skills and is not highly sought after due to its difficult and grotesque working conditions, both physically and mentally (which is why foreign immigrants, who tend to be more desperate for work, are typically hired to work at factory farms as well as because they are the least likely to “whistle blow” about any poor practices as they would likely lose their job and could be deported). NGOs can only send people who have not publicly expressed views against factory farms since factory farming companies won’t hire them. There is becoming fewer and fewer of these people who are able (if you do it once, it can be tough or next to impossible to get hired by another company since they suspect you would do undercover work again) and willing (not many animal welfare advocates can stomach being the ones physically slaughtering animals) to do this job.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Undercover Investigator at PETA - use a variety of undercover investigative methods to conduct field investigations

• Undercover Investigator: United States at Mercy for Animals - conduct thorough research on various farmed animal welfare issues and agricultural practices and facilities

• Animal Cruelty Investigator at Humane Society of Missouri - investigate of cases related to animal neglect, abuse and abandonment, educate pet and livestock owners, promote of responsible animal care, and assist the Animal Cruelty Task Force with the rescue of animals due to distressing conditions or disasters

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• physiologically preparing yourself for observing horrifying animal suffering for long periods of time without external expressing any discomfort/dissatisfaction (for example, watching hours of animal cruelty videos)

• physically preparing yourself for doing a task repeatedly for long periods of time (for example, peeling potatoes for 4+ hours without a break)

• trying an undesired job (i.e. janitor, garbage pickup person) to test if you are able to handle a mundane, smelly, and depressing work environment

• learning how to lie convincingly

Watch this video interview with a factory farm investigator as well as read this story, this story, this story, this story, and this story of undercover investigators at factory farms. Learn more about investigative work on the investigation pages for Animal Equality, Animal Outlook, Mercy for Animals, and PETA.

Work at alternative protein companies and animal welfare NGOs is useful in the alternative protein and animal welfare space because as alternative protein companies and animal welfare NGOs continue to grow, they will need more employees to increase their production and influence. There are many roles within these companies and NGOs which require minimal to no specific skills. These more generic roles are the ones which there will be the greatest demand for as these companies’ and NGOs’ capacity to do their work depends on their ability to create output. For example, an alternative protein company can only produce as much product that its production workers can create. Therefore, having more production workers means that it has a greater capacity to create more products. Examples of some of these roles are technician/factory worker, delivery person, custodian, and administrative worker. By being an assistant, you can enable the CEO/manager to operate more effectively, thereby increasing their impact. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Plant-Based Meat Technician at Rebellyous Foods - assist with the production of plant-based meat (mixing, frying, freezing, packaging), complete sanitation tasks, and transport equipment, supplies, materials, and products within the facility

• Executive Assistant at Beyond Carnism - provide high-level assistance to ensure the organization is as effective as possible

• Special Assistant - Office of the President at PETA - work on specific projects, as assigned by the president, to help promote the goals of the organization

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• learning more about animal welfare and alternative proteins

• expressing interest in ending factory farming on social media

• reaching out to the CEO’s and founders of alternative protein companies and animal welfare NGOs

• aking jobs in similar roles at other companies/organizations

Listen to an interview with Sophia Retchin, an intern at Improved Nature, GFI, Aleph Farms, Peace of Meat, and MeaTech.

Helping to grow more crops used in plant-based proteins such as soybeans, peas, mung beans, chickpeas, etc. would make them more available for plant-based meat companies to purchase. Further expanding the production of these crops would reduce their overall cost (since as production scales, overhead cost per unit decreases) thereby helping plant-based meat become more cost competitive compared to conventional meat. Another opportunity in this area to assist meat and dairy farmers towards growing plant-based crops instead as demonstrated by the Transfarmation Project run by Mercy for Animals. You can make an impact either being a farmer, working for the Department of Agriculture, or working for an agribusiness company.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Extension Agent at University of Tennessee/Wilson County - plan, execute, and evaluate programs in the areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources as well as establish and maintain good working relationships with extension staff, commercial producers, agri-business, agricultural agencies, and general public

• Director Center for Grain and Animal Health Research at USDA - conduct innovative research and develop new technologies to solve problems in arthropod-vectored animal diseases, and in the production, storage, and utilization of grain to ensure a safe, abundant, and high quality food supply

• Regional Product and Process Development Leader Vegetable Proteins and Feed Products at Cargill - lead the day-today activities of Product and Process Development Enrichment team in Cargill Starches, Sweeteners, Texturizers Europe, Enrichment pillar

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• researching the crops utilized in plant-based products and where demand may be lacking in certain regions to identify potential regions to increase production

• learning about agriculture practices (specifically those relating to growing crops needed for plant-based proteins)

• developing an in-depth understanding of how food systems work including the relationships between all stakeholders

• investigating the economic, environmental, and social impacts of transitioning to a more plant-based food system

Information on the career path of an Agricultural Extension Agent can be found here.

Inspecting factory farms and enforcing rules (and fines) to ensure that the animals are treated properly could improve the welfare of animals. However, raising awareness of poor animal treatment practices may help lead to factory shutdowns and possibly a reformation of the animal treatment laws. Also, there are a limited number of inspectors, and currently not enough of them to assess all the factory farms to ensure that these factories are adhering to the regulations. Therefore, there is a high need for people to take on this role. Related to inspection and regulation is food safety. Alternative protein manufacturing facilities also need to ensure that they adhere to food production regulations. As such people with experience in food safety and/or quality assurance would be beneficial to alternative protein companies. 

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Agriculture Inspector 1 - Livestock & Poultry at Georgia Department of Agriculture - handle many issues involving livestock and poultry on a daily basis, whether at a public sale, market or show, or enforcement of health regulations and laws pertaining to state requirements

• Animal Control Officer at King George County - enforce animal control laws, investigate complaints, and control and protect of animals

• Specialist, Animal Behavior at ASPCA - monitor the behavioral health of all animals, provide extra enrichment as needed, collect data, and coach others on proper treatment of animals

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• becoming very knowledgeable on factory farming laws and food safety regulations and standards

• identifying, researching, and doing inspection work for a different government department

Information on the career path of an Animal Control Officer can be found here and for an Animal Health Inspector can be found here. You can learn more about the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its rules and training here. Listen to an interview with Ching Zin, a Food Safety Specialist at UPSIDE Foods.

Focusing on treating animals in factory farms, as there are so many farmed animals (orders of magnitude more than pets), can be a simple way to reduce a lot of animal suffering. Taking it one step further would be to propose methods to improve the welfare of animals on factory farms and informing others of how the unsanitary conditions of factory farms can negatively impact human health (through the spread of diseases and antibiotic resistance) and loss of revenue (due to animal mortality rates). Other work could include helping rescued animals from factory farms and/or working on animal sanctuaries.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Licensed Veterinary Technician at PETA - provide high-quality care for patients of high-volume mobile spay and neuter veterinary clinic 

• Veterinary Medical Officer at USDA - test and evaluate assigned biologics for the prevention, treatment, or diagnosis of diseases of domestic animals and wildlife

• Assistant Caregiver at Farm Sanctuary - focus on health care assistance, feeding, enrichment, and wellbeing of animals, clean barns, transport animals

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• attending veterinary school (or completing a program relating to animal medicine)

• gaining a solid understanding of the animal suffering on factory farms (by watching videos or ideally working at a factory farm)

• researching animal behaviour and links between human and animal health (i.e. zoonotic disease transmission)

• developing a strong compassion for animals

Information on the career path of a Veterinarian can be found here.

Finding ways to make plant-based options taste great is an excellent way to show people that they don’t have to compromise on taste when eating meat alternatives, which is where culinary expertise plays a key role. Also, talented chefs can prepare plant-based meals to make them more visually appealing to consumers resulting in higher acceptance as people truly eat with their eyes. Developing more plant-based dishes to be available on menus could lead to more people trying them and reducing meat consumption. This career path also includes starting your own restaurant that serves alternative protein products and other plant-based foods. Many alternative protein companies have partnerships with chefs/restaurants to ensure that their products will be prepared in a manner to maximize customer satisfaction as well as increase media/public awareness of their products. For example, Eat Just has partnered with chef José Andrés to launch their cultivated chicken product.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Fast Casual Restaurant Manager at The Herbivorous Butcher - responsible for the day to day running of the restaurant, managing all staff, managing related inventory, and ensuring food and personnel safety in the department

• Head Chef and Kitchen Manager at A Live Kitchen - oversight for the quality of food, execution, revenue and sales growth, expense, cost and margin control, and produce orders 

• Product Development Associate at The Not Company - support the development of products in milk alternative categories, coordinating pilots, lab tests and trials, and preparing documentation

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• completing a culinary or food science program

• working in a (ideally plant-based) restaurant 

• experimenting with creating plant-based versions of dishes typically made with animal products

• taking introductory courses on how to run a business (preferably specific to the food industry)

Also, you can join the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

There are many aspects of alternative protein development and animal welfare that are unknown (i.e. what is the most cost-effective way to convince people to eat less meat). Therefore, more research into these areas could help enable a better understanding of how to best end factory farming (finding donation opportunities to maximize the number of animal lives saved). This can also include doing an analysis of academic journals and research papers to consolidate and compare results. This type of meta research helps to allocate funding to academic institutions to develop alternative proteins and animal welfare understanding. This research can impact funders, animal advocacy, policy makers, academics, and society as a whole. Demonstrating to philanthropists that their money is used as effectively as possible is another aspect of this career path. A list of 9 research areas to help animals can be found here.

A few specific jobs in this career area are:

• Global Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Manager at ProVeg International - lead impact measurement across countries, for a huge variety of different interventions, across all departments as well as manage data 

• Researcher at Animal Charity Evaluators - design and conduct surveys, investigate the animal advocacy movement in other countries, conduct literature searches, and review the latest animal advocacy research

• Humane Education Data Investigator at Faunalytics - investigating sources of data (e.g., school districts, state metrics) that could be used for secondary research on the effectiveness of humane education programs

Organizations doing meta research related to ending factory farming are:

• Anima International

• Animal Advocacy Careers

• Animal Charity Evaluators

• Animal Think Tank

• Blue Horizon

• Charity Entrepreneurship 

• DefaultVeg

• Farmed Animal Funders

• Faunalytics 

• New Harvest 

• Open Philanthropy

• Plant Based Food Association

• Rethink Priorities

• The Good Food Institute

• The Human League

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• reading numerous studies and academic papers on the subject of factory farming and alternative proteins to gain a thorough understanding of it

• obtaining a bachelors, masters, or doctorate degree in an empirical area of study such as economics, engineering, mathematics, or psychology

• doing similar research work (possibly as a research assistant) in another field, working or volunteering at an animal charity

• honing report writing skills (can be either formal or informal reports)

• practicing conducting impact evaluations

You can also read the interview notes with Kieran Greig, an Analyst at Farmed Animal Funders. Faunalytics offers office hours where you can learn more about their work.

Educating people on the importance of ending factory farming (ethics of animal welfare, impacts on the environment, risks of zoonotic diseases, health benefits of a plant-based diet, sustainability of a the food system with a growing population, working conditions of factory farm workers) could led to them pursuing it as a career or at least donate to effective charities working towards ending factory farming. Teachers inspire and educate future generations so informing youth about alternative proteins and animal welfare is a fantastic way to ensure the continued growth of these areas. Also, teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) to any students from young age to adulthood can help people develop empathy. Not only is this a win for the animals, but it can greatly help them in their personal lives. Teaching empathy is essential to see behavioural change and decreased violence in the world. Roles in education include teachers, lecturers, and public speakers.

An example of a job in this career area is:

• Tour Crew Member at PETA - deliver a compelling message against cruelty to animals to the public, distribute literature, and help provide a moving experience about animal rights

• Trainings Lead at Animal Think Tank - develop an expertise in people-powered campaigning, facilitate workshops, and producing training materials

You can build career capital to get into this area by:

• earning a teaching degree or PhD (to become a university professor)

• conducting extensive research on impacts of factory farming (ideally becoming an expert on a certain aspect related to ending factory farming, such as nutrition, human or animal psychology, or alternative protein development)

• attending seminars on empathy

• leading campaigns to improve your ability to effectively deliver key messages

Additional information on the role of a Humane Educator can be found here.

You can also read the interview notes with Bo Gatarek, a teacher at Madonna University and listen to an interview with Frederik Lau, an educator on alternative proteins. A course which you can apply to take (or be a facilitator for) is the Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme run by BlueDot Impact.

Here is a list of simple actionable steps you can implement in your day-to-day life outside of your career to help end factory farming: 

• Adopt a flexitarian, reducetarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan diet

• Purchase alternative protein products at grocery stores and restaurants

• Vote for policies to improve the welfare of farmed animals and against laws that limit the growth of the alternative protein industry (such as labeling laws) 

• Sign petitions associated with ending factory farming

• Write op-eds about the benefits of transitioning away from factory farming

• Share articles about alternative proteins and animal welfare on social media

• Talk about the benefits of alternative proteins with friends, family, and others

• Email, call, or comment on social media asking companies producing and selling animal products to transition away from factory farming (the Humane League Fast Action Network has numerous specific ways for you to do this)

• Protest and/or campaign against factory farming

• Join an Alt Protein Project at a university or start a new one

• Donate to Animal Charity Evaluator’s top recommended charities

• Invest in alternative protein companies (see investing opportunities noted at the end of the Investing career path)

• Volunteer for nonprofits that support animal advocacy (i.e. leafleting in public places) 

• Do a side project related to ending factory farming (i.e. research ways to improve plant-based diet adoption)

• Apply to be a research study test subject for studies related to ending factory farming (i.e. plant-based meat consumer surveys)

• Animal Advocacy Careers Skills Profiles (Animal Advocacy Careers)

• Pathways Kickstart your Career in Cellular Agriculture (Cellular Agriculture Australia)

• Careers in the Alt. Protein Field (Chapel Hill Alt Protein Project)

• Alt. Protein/Animal Advocacy Careers/Resources for students (Kuhan Jeyapragasan)

• Alternative Protein Career Portal (GFI)

• Student Guide to Navigating the Alternative Protein Space (GFI)

• Key Disciplines for Alternative Protein Science (GFI)

• Pioneers of the Future of Food (GFI)

• What can you do about Factory Farming? (80,000 Hours)

• Spot-checks in the Farmed Animal Movement (for-profit) (Animal Advocacy Careers)

• Spot-checks in the Farmed Animal Movement (nonprofit) (Animal Advocacy Careers)

• Work Effectively (Animal Charity Evaluators) 

• Animal Welfare Reports (Charity Entrepreneurship)

• Treatment of Animals in Industrial Agriculture (Open Philanthropy)

• Find a Job Working With Animals (The Balance Careers)

• Animal Welfare Projects (Rethink Priorities)

• Animal Justice Academy (Animal Justice)

• Purpose Spreadsheet (Red To Green and Threebility)

• Alternative meat research and development (Effective Thesis)

• Behavioural and attitudinal change in animal products consumption (Effective Thesis)

• Consumer research related to alternative proteins (Effective Thesis)

• Animal-Focused Research Ideas (Faunalytics)

• Jeffray Behr

• Carissa Cirelli

• Vikki Lenola

• Kevin Shen

Zehra Abbas

• Alyssa Berris

• Chris Bryant

• Blake Byrne

• Cash Callaghan

• Nicole Cheng

• Nate Crosser

• Mathile Do Chi

• Neil Dullaghan

• Sandra Einvall

• Dewi Erwan

• Bo Gatarek

• Julia Gil N. Martin

• Kieran Greig

• Friederike Grosse-Holz 

• Anirvan Guha

• Laura Hackl

• Brooke Haggerty

• Ben Happ

• Jamie Harris

• Em Heppler

• Amy Huang 

• Sorin Ionescu

• Ahmed Khan

• Frederick Lau

• Angel Li

• Katie Nehmer

• Maille O'Donnell

• Erika Pilpré 

• Sophia Retchin

• Stephen Rykwalder

• Andrew Sayles

• Jason Schukraft

• Jessica Scott-Reid

• Lucas Solowey

• Luke Spajic

• Panagiotis Vlachogiannis

• Pia Voltz

• Daniel Wang

• Ella Wong

• Erin Zhang

• Ching Zin

Read the Interview Notes.