Dietary change is seen as a way to reduce animal suffering, especially in factory farms, by reducing consumption of animal products or avoiding such products altogether.[1]
Besides its direct impact on food production, going vegetarian or vegan can also encourage others to make similar choices, and ultimately help change social norms.[2] For this reason, many members of the effective altruism community advocate a vegan or vegetarian diet, while some focus on reducing consumption of specific foods associated with most animal deaths or suffering.[3][4]
However, other members of the community have argued that reducing or eliminating animal products has monetary, attentional, and productivity costs, and that, after accounting for these costs, dietary change may not be a cost-effective intervention for improving animal welfare.[5]