How I Learned to Love Shrimp Lewis Bollard on the strategies that win, the traps to avoid, and why.
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Aug 19, 2025 
Lewis Bollard, who leads the farm animal welfare program at Open Philanthropy, shares insights on transforming animal advocacy. He discusses the moral complexities and biases within the movement, suggesting innovative technologies like OvoSexing to improve welfare standards. Lewis highlights the pitfalls of blocking factory farms and emphasizes strategic investments in advocacy. He also explores the potential role of transformative AI and the need for a nuanced approach to engage various communities. This enlightening conversation offers a fresh perspective on advancing animal welfare.
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Reweight Priors On Animal Sentience
- Start with higher priors for nonhuman sentience rather than zero; evidence against is often weak.
- Lewis now assigns >50% to insect sentience and urges funders to consider insect and shrimp welfare.
Institutional Reduction Often Misses Scale
- Institutional meat-reduction pledges often target small institutions and therefore scale poorly.
- They also risk replacing beef with chicken/fish, undermining animal welfare aims.
Push Retailers For Protein Targets
- Target large retailers with measurable plant-protein or category-split commitments to reach scale.
- Avoid bundling these targets inside broad climate pledges that let firms substitute chicken or fish for beef.