Faunalytics’ 2024 Year In Review & 2025 Plans
It’s hard to believe it’s already December, but as we look back on 2024, it’s no wonder time’s been flying — in the past twelve months, we’ve made significant achievements and doubled down on our steadfast efforts to advance animal advocacy through research, and we’ve hardly let up. This year, we launched crucial studies and further developed key programs to inform and inspire action across the animal advocacy landscape, and we’re proud to be retaining our ACE Recommended Charity status for next year.
In the blog that follows, we give you a high-level overview of our 2024 activities, and what’s to come from Faunalytics in 2025. We can’t wait to show the animal advocacy community what we have planned.
NEW RESEARCH
Increasing Impact
New Research: In our latest project with The Good Growth Co., Pathways To Impact: An International Study Of Advocates’ Strategies And Needs, we surveyed nearly 200 groups across 84 countries to scope the diverse tactics and approaches taken by farmed animal advocates. We focused on why organizations pursue different strategies, and provided recommendations for funders and advocates on how to move forward more effectively. Get further insights about this study’s implications in this discussion with the study’s author and a movement funder.
New Research: Animal welfare claims are commonly found on animal product packaging, but because many of them are effectively meaningless, animal advocacy groups have devoted substantial resources toward label education and litigation around false advertising. Our study The Role Of Humanewashing In Grocery Stores: How Welfare Labels Affect Purchasing Behavior explores how some of these claims affect purchasing behavior, as well as shoppers’ understanding of these claims. Our results help advocates better determine how to allocate resources going forward.
New Research: Next week, Faunalytics will publish our new study What Vegan Advocates Can Learn From The Social Spread Of Quitting Smoking. Quitting smoking is a good parallel to going vegan in several ways: it’s a complex behavioral change and a frequently cued behavior. As such, the decreasing popularity of smoking may prove worthwhile for advocates to study as a template for diet change or animal product reduction, as well as researchers looking to study the social contagion of veganism.
Building Collaborations
New Research: Given the overlap that exists between animal advocacy and climate and environmental issues, our study Collaborative Opportunities Between The Animal Protection And Environmental Movements evaluated the potential for partnership between organizations working in animal protection and those in the environmental movement. We identified common ground and gathered environmentalists’ perspectives about partnering with animal advocates. Don’t miss the fireside chat we hosted discussing our findings!
New Research: Animal advocates in the U.S. need strategies for working with people on both sides of the political aisle. Our study Bridging U.S. Conservative Values And Animal Protection helps advocates better frame pro-animal messages to maximize their ability to influence policy change, culture shifts, and individual pro-animal actions among conservatives. Dive deeper into our findings in this webinar with advocates from two voter-focused organizations.
Strengthening Movement Capacity
New Research: In our study Research And Data As Tools In Advocate Decision Making, we surveyed 20 animal advocacy organizations around the world to better understand how they access, interpret, and use research in their work. We uncovered five key ways advocates use research, providing vital guidance to our own work and that of other researchers. Check out the webinar we hosted with guests from other researcher organizations as they discuss their biggest takeaways and surprises from this report. Last month we then published Phase II of this study with our friends at Good Growth, this time focusing on China and Southeast Asia specifically.
New Research: Our study Creating A More Equitable Movement: Compensation In The Farmed Animal Advocacy Sector provided much-needed benchmarks on salary and benefits among farmed animal organizations. We uncovered two stark findings: advocates from marginalized groups earned 85 cents for every dollar that a non-marginalized advocate made, and 36% of advocates said they were somewhat or very likely to leave the movement if offered a similar role with better pay. Hear what advocates had to say about these findings in this panel discussion.
RESEARCH LIBRARY
Updated Analysis: We released the latest edition of our Global Animal Slaughter Statistics And Charts — one of our most widely used resources. In this update, we expanded on previous editions, and aggregated and visualized trends in animal slaughter around the world using data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Research Library: Thanks to the support of our amazing volunteers, over 250 new study summaries have been added to our Library this year! This represents a 25% increase over 2024, responding to community feedback that you want more study summaries to inform and guide your advocacy.
Translated Resources: To make research more accessible to the global movement, we’ve grown our collection of translated research available to advocates. Furthermore, we launched two Faunalytics microsites: one in Spanish and one in Simplified Chinese.
Tactics In Practice (TIPs!): In this new resource series, we provide overviews that delve into all the best research behind one popular advocacy intervention at a time. Our first edition is on Social Media Advocacy and our second edition is on Plant-Based Defaults And Nudges (in collaboration with the Better Food Foundation).
Research Round-Up: We created a Guide For Farmed Animal Sanctuaries, collecting the most helpful data all in one place to support their work.
New Factsheet: Labels are a key way consumers evaluate the “humaneness” of animal products. This factsheet, Deciphering And Improving Animal Product Welfare Labels, gives insight into what these labels actually mean and how they can be improved.
Unpacking Chile’s Animal Industrial Complex: In this series, we unveiled the operations of the largest animal exploitation industries in Chile over the past 20 years, starting with the fishing industry in part one and then, in part two, with the livestock industry.
RESEARCH SUPPORT
Office Hours: We’ve provided one-on-one guidance to 175 advocates and organizations this year via our pro bono Office Hours, which are available in multiple time zones to support advocates around the globe.
Ambassador Outreach Project: Our Ambassadors have provided customized research presentations to a dozen organizations this year, bringing the project’s total to over 60 organizations and 680 advocates reached!
Study Replication Guide: Faunalytics has conducted more than 50 original studies over the last decade, and with each research question answered, another emerges. While some of our studies have had a multinational focus, not all have. We produced a new guide for replicating our research in different contexts to empower advocates to reproduce our most popular studies around the world.
Fauna Connections: We held our third annual virtual research symposium! An incredible 431 advocates attended to hear 17 researchers present their latest findings to support animal protection efforts. This year’s keynote speaker was Ignacia Uribe R., founder and CEO of Fundación Veg and author of the new book Cómo ser vegan hoy, who talked about the power of data in activism.
IN THE COMMUNITY
AMA: In July, we hosted an AMA in the r/Vegan subreddit, where we answered your questions about animal advocacy, research, climate change, rates of veganism, and more.
Spreading Awareness: We appeared on the Asia for Animals podcast alongside our friends at The Good Growth Co. to share advice on best practices for leveraging data, developing a “research mindset,” and how organizations can use research in animal advocacy.
AI & Animal Advocacy: Our Resource Director lent his expertise to: a webinar with Stray Dog Institute and Farm Forward where he explored risks, rewards, and responsibilities related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in animal advocacy; a panel discussion at the CARE Conference on AI, Advocacy, and Navigating the Ethical Frontier; a workshop at the CARE Conference on the practical application of AI tools; a panel on AI & Law at the Canadian Animal Law conference; and as moderator of a panel on AI & Analytics at AVA DC.
Supporting Community: The HIVE community is a place where animal advocates can connect, collaborate, and learn from one another. We’re proud to moderate two of their Slack channels: #Research and #Fundraising!
Building Connections & Community: Several Faunalysts attended the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, where we maximized our time to help advocates use research and data in their advocacy. From speaking on panels to moderating sessions to hosting meetups, it was a privilege to strengthen our relationships with our fellow animal advocates. We also spoke at the CARE conference and Asia Farm Animal Day!
THE FAUNALYSTS BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Newest Faunalysts: This year, we welcomed several new Faunalysts to our growing flock: Projects Manager Dr. Carley MacKay, People & Operations Director Victoria Keehn, Research Library Manager Meghann Cant bring unique skillsets to their respective positions, and each has expanded Faunalytics capacities in a crucial way at a crucial time. Get to know our team here.
New Board Members: We are excited to announce the addition of three fantastic new board members: Richa Thapliyal, Max Adams, and Deep Dhillon! As with our staff additions, these new members help to complement our other board members’ areas of expertise, and bring vital skills to the table.
Supporting Emerging Talent: We had the privilege of hosting two philanthropy interns over the summer. Emily and Tracy developed their skills in grant writing, donor stewardship, prospecting, and more while helping Faunalytics reach new heights with our fundraising initiatives. We are so proud of our fledgling Faunalysts and are eager to see what they do next!
Our Amazing Volunteers: We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the 37 volunteers who contributed over 831 hours of their time to our organization this year. We’re incredibly grateful for their dedication and contributions to our work.
OUR IMPACT
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people use Faunalytics’ work to inform their animal advocacy. We recently conducted our annual Community Survey to assess our impact, how our work is being used by our audience, and how we can improve to better support the movement. Nearly 500 advocates completed the survey, and we’re thrilled to share the following highlights:
- 83% thought that our work is either extremely or very valuable to improving animal advocacy.
- 79% agreed that Faunalytics’ work has helped guide their advocacy decisions.
- 77% said that our work has improved their (or their organization’s) advocacy efforts.
- 97% agreed that our work is high quality.
- 96% said that they would probably or definitely recommend Faunalytics to others.
FAUNALYTICS' PLANS & PRIORITIES
As we look ahead, 2025 will be a year of groundbreaking new research and resources, as well as strengthening our foundation here at Faunalytics. In addition to building on the core Faunalytics programs advocates have come to rely on, we also plan to deeply reflect and assess how to increase the impact of our work even further. We will welcome a new Research Director early next year, who will play a big part in our upcoming strategic planning. We can’t wait to dive into this work, and hope you’re as excited about our future plans as we are! Read on for a sneak peek of what we have in store.
International Advocacy
How International Organizations Affect Factory Farming In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: We will investigate the various ways that the policies of international organizations (such as the World Bank and World Trade Organization) affect the proliferation of factory farming in low- and middle-income countries. This will provide foundational information to help advocates limit the spread of industrial animal agriculture around the world.
Messaging About Plant-Based Diets And Products In Southeast Asia*: Southeast Asia’s diverse cultures and beliefs create a unique challenge for promoting plant-based diets and alternative proteins. Recognizing the gap in region-specific research, we’ll embark on a study to understand current perceptions and terminology around plant-based diets in Southeast Asia. *A Good Growth Co. collaboration.
Scoping Collaboration Across Social Movement Lines In Southeast Asia*: We’ll uncover potential for collaboration between the farmed animal advocacy movement and other social movements in Southeast Asia by mapping out intersections where animal advocacy can align with other causes. This will lay the foundation for intersectional collaboration and reveal new avenues for campaigns and fundraising. *A Good Growth Co. collaboration.
Political Advocacy
Effective Communication With Political Staffers: There is limited research on what is most effective when engaging in lobbying and grassroots outreach to politicians. In this study, we will interview U.S. political staffers to obtain recommendations for animal advocates considering legislative campaigning in the U.S., with the goal of better understanding how to best approach lawmakers.
Voter Response To A Pro-Animal/Anti-Subsidy Candidate: Among the most pressing problems for advocates is the use of government subsidies to support the animal agriculture industry. In collaboration with Dr. Sparsha Saha, we will test how political candidates can discuss pro-animal stances in ways that appeal to voters to provide candidates and their campaigns with invaluable information aimed at helping them put animals on the political agenda.
Assessing Impact
A Case Study Of Food System Education And Students’ Subsequent Impact: Many advocates use classroom education as a way to teach children and young adults about the food system and compassion for animals. In this case study, we will examine the pathways taken by alumni of such a program, focusing on their educational and professional accomplishments and their retention in the animal advocacy space.
Chicken And Fish Substitution Meta-Analysis: For advocates of diet change, substitution of one animal product for another is an undesirable outcome for their campaigns, but poses a particular problem when a smaller-bodied animal is substituted for a larger one because of the larger impact in animal lives. We will examine whether there is evidence of a substitution effect across many intervention studies, and if there is, we will use the available evidence to suggest what caused it and how advocates may be able to prevent this outcome moving forward.
Strengthening Movement Capacity
Green And Humane: Engaging Generation Z*: We will identify strategies for harnessing the action and focus of Gen Z by investigating their barriers and motivators in making pro-environment and pro-animal protection lifestyle changes. Further, we’ll delve into Gen Z’s perceptions of the environmental and animal protection movements as career paths, identifying what may act as barriers, motivators, and facilitators to pursuing work in these fields. *A Good Growth Co. collaboration.
Balancing Inclusivity With An Animal-Oriented Mission: In this study, Faunalytics will partner with Dr. Ahmmad Brown to interview BIPOC advocates and non-advocates to understand their perspectives on inclusivity in the animal protection movement. We will present solutions that BIPOC participants proposed to leadership in the movement and discuss what it would take to implement these strategies within their organization. By working with both BIPOC and non-BIPOC individuals, we aim to build a shared understanding of what it means to be an inclusive movement and how to get there.
Expanding Current Collections
Website Update: In 2024, we launched a redesign of the Faunalytics website with more sensibly organized resources, more resources available “at the surface,” and more granular search functionality. These improvements have been a longtime in the making, and we continue to make quiet improvements to the user experience, and how site functions.
Research Library: Next year, we’ll be maintaining our increased output of library items, and we anticipate adding over 250 new studies to our Library, as well as another 50+ blog posts giving deep analysis to animal advocacy topics. Based on your feedback in our community survey, we’ll be adding further insights and takeaways for animal advocates in each summary.
Global Slaughter Statistics And Charts: We’ll be updating one of our most popular and referenced resources — this used to happen every two years, but we now have the capacity to do this annually.
Animal Product Impact Scales: We’ll be updating our spreadsheets for the Animal Product Impact Scales to make them clearer and easier to use. The revamped spreadsheets will have step by step calculations for each animal to make it easier to find the data you need.
Tactics In Practice (TIPs!): We’ve been developing a new series on the best research behind one popular advocacy intervention at a time. In 2025, we’ll produce new editions on protests, political influence, vegan challenges, and documentaries.
New Resources & Updating Fundamentals
Investigations Index: In 2025, we’ll be scoping and creating the prototype for a new tool that will aggregate information about investigations together to treat them as data. The resulting database will be searchable and sortable, so advocates could (for example) find all investigations against KFC suppliers in a particular country, or get statistics from all investigations involving pig farms, or see the history of investigations by year.
Public Polling Database: Public opinion polls are crucial to understanding broader trends in social thought, but they are generally scattered around online. Our Public Polling Database will bring together a comprehensive listing of available data on public opinion from around the world, with a focus on questions of most relevance to animal advocates.
Podcast Scoping: Something we’ve been considering for some time is the potential of doing a Faunalytics podcast — and thinking about factors such as what the focus would be, what format we would use, and whether it could have a broader audience than animal advocates. In 2025 we will scope the idea and potentially put together a pilot.
Fundamentals Updates: This past year, we made comprehensive updates to our Research Animal and Wild Animal Fundamentals. Next year, we’ll be doing the same with our Farmed Animal and Companion Animal Fundamentals, and possibly more!
New Office Hours: While our current Office Hours are already available in a few different time zones and languages, we can still do better! We will partner with our long-time collaborators at Good Growth to add an Office Hour for advocates in Asia.
Ambassador Outreach Project: Our Ambassadors have provided customized research presentations to organizations, and in 2025, we’ve announced an expansion of our Research Ambassador project, which you can read about here.
Fauna Connections: Our fourth annual, virtual research symposium will return! Save the date for September 18 to join advocates and researchers seeking new knowledge to be as effective as possible.
Support Animal Advocacy Research
Since 2000, Faunalytics has been the research branch of the animal protection movement, growing each year to support the important work being done by animal advocates around the world. To be effective, we must balance passion with data, and that’s where we come in. But we can’t do it alone. Please help make animal advocacy research possible by contributing to the vital work our movement depends on.
On behalf of the entire Faunalytics team, thank you for your support, and for all you do to change the world for animals. We’re honored to work alongside you and look forward to all we will accomplish together in the year ahead.
