Neil Dullaghan on the importance of influencing EU policy and other important research topics
Sep 6, 2023
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Neil Dullaghan, Senior Research Manager at Rethink Priorities, discusses his EU policy research and impactful projects. Topics include neglected animals like shrimp, the landscape of animal advocacy, phasing out cages in the EU, tangible impact of research, balancing theory and implementation in politics, evaluating grants, changing opinions through media, and book/podcast recommendations.
Shrimps and fish suffering in the food system are often neglected in animal advocacy efforts, highlighting the need to prioritize their welfare.
Understanding decision-making systems, coalition building, and public opinion is crucial for effective animal advocacy strategies.
Influencing EU policies can lead to widespread change in animal welfare across all member countries and the industry, presenting both challenges and opportunities.
Deep dives
The importance of prioritizing shrimp and fish welfare
The podcast episode discusses the need for animal advocates to prioritize the welfare of shrimps and fish, as they are often neglected in animal advocacy efforts. The speaker highlights that despite the large number of shrimp and fish suffering in the food system, many advocates do not prioritize them. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding the immense scale of these animals' suffering and allocating resources to address their welfare.
The value of political science in animal advocacy
The podcast episode explores the role of political science in animal advocacy and how it can contribute to effective decision-making. The speaker, who holds a PhD in Political Science, discusses the importance of understanding decision-making systems, coalition building, and public opinion in shaping successful advocacy strategies. The episode emphasizes the need for advocates to have a strong grasp of political processes, stakeholder engagement, and framing issues to effectively advance animal welfare policies.
The influence of the European Union in animal advocacy
The podcast episode delves into the significance of the European Union (EU) in the animal advocacy movement. The speaker highlights that influencing EU policies can result in widespread change across all member countries and a shift in industry practices. The episode discusses the potential impact of EU standards on other countries, particularly in the area of animal welfare, and addresses the challenges and opportunities in navigating EU politics and decision-making processes.
Research priorities for animal welfare
The podcast episode emphasizes the need for prioritizing research in the field of animal welfare. It discusses the importance of collecting basic data, such as population sizes of animals and conditions in various interventions. The episode also highlights the need for research on subjects like invertebrate sentience, wild animal welfare, and alternative proteins. It stresses the significance of building an evidence base to guide effective advocacy strategies and decision-making.
Insights from the Effective Altruism Animal Welfare Fund
The podcast episode features a discussion with the manager of the Effective Altruism Animal Welfare Fund. It provides an overview of the fund's mission and its goal to maximize impact for non-human animals. The episode explores some of the projects funded by the organization, including those focusing on neglected animals, geographical regions, and alternative proteins. It also delves into the decision-making process for granting funds and highlights the importance of rigorous evaluation and prioritization in supporting impactful initiatives.
Neil Dullaghan is a Senior Research Manager in the animal welfare department at Rethink Priorities. Neil also holds a PhD in Political Science and is a fund manager of the Effective Altruism Animal Welfare Fund.
In this episode Neil talks us through his policy research in the EU as well as other exciting projects and impactful research that Rethink Priorities has produced and includes some of the most obscure resource recommendations to date!
Relevant links to things mentioned throughout the show:
If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating and review us - we would really appreciate it! Likewise, feel free to share it with anyone who you think might enjoy it. You can send us feedback and guest recommendations via Twitter or email us at hello@howilearnedtoloveshrimp.com. Enjoy!
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