What Would It Really Cost Us to Eat Meat Without Making Animals Suffer?

Most of us say that we love animals. We feel angry when we see videos of animal abuse, react on social media, and donate to shelters. Seeing an animal suffer genuinely upsets us.

Then we sit down at the table and eat meat.

I am not writing this as a vegan, nor as someone who is against eating meat.

My name is Batur Heper. I am 19 years old, a student at the Italian High School, and deeply passionate about gastronomy. For me, food is not a story that begins on the plate. I care about everything that happens before it reaches the restaurant: the farms, the production conditions, the lives of the animals, and the ethical dimension of the system that produces our food. I eat meat. I enjoy eating meat. I also love animals. It is precisely this contradiction that pushed me to write this piece.

The uncomfortable truth is this: We are not mistreating animals to produce better meat — we are doing it to produce cheaper meat.

What is even more uncomfortable is that preventing a large portion of this suffering would cost us far less than we think.

Chickens: The Most Consumed, the Most Ignored

At any given moment, around 26 billion chickens are alive worldwide. Every year, more than 70 billion chickens are slaughtered. Chickens are the most commonly farmed animals on the planet, yet their lives remain among the least discussed.

Chickens are not “simple” animals. They can form social relationships, communicate, solve problems, and display signs of empathy toward distressed individuals. They are highly aware of their surroundings and of what happens to them.

In egg production, the majority of chickens worldwide are kept in cages so small that they cannot stretch their wings, scratch the ground, or build nests. Under constant stress, they often begin to harm one another, which is why their beaks are frequently partially cut off.

The most striking aspect of this system is that it offers almost no real benefit.

In Europe, switching from cage systems to cage-free “barn” systems increases the cost by approximately €0.02 per egg. In free-range systems, where chickens have access to outdoor areas, the difference is around €0.07 per egg.

In other words, a fraction of the price of a cup of coffee could dramatically improve the lives of millions of chickens.

Additional context: Although the European Union banned conventional battery cages in 2012, approximately 50% of laying hens are still kept in so-called “enriched cages,” where movement remains severely restricted. In the United States, this figure exceeds 60%, depending on the state. In Turkey, cage systems remain widespread, while transparent public data remains limited.

Male chicks, deemed economically useless by the egg industry, are killed immediately after hatching — typically by gassing or maceration. Globally, this affects approximately 7 billion chicks each year. Germany and France have banned this practice and introduced in-ovo sex determination technologies, at an additional cost of €0.02–€0.05 per egg.

The solutions are well known: more space, natural light, environmental enrichment, and slower-growing breeds. The problem is not technical; it is political and consumer-driven. The most troubling fact is that this system has been normalized.

Broiler Chickens: Constant Pain in the Name of Speed

Chickens raised for meat face a different but equally severe tragedy. Modern broiler chickens are genetically selected to gain weight at extreme speeds. Their bones and organs cannot keep up with this growth, and many become unable to walk long before slaughter.

If production shifted to slower-growing, less painful breeds, the price difference would be modest. A portion of chicken breast would cost approximately €0.10–€0.15 more.

That is all.

Additional context: Around 90% of broiler chickens in the EU and nearly 99% in the United States are raised in closed industrial systems. Stocking densities often reach legal limits, leaving each bird with space comparable to only a few sheets of paper.

Poor ventilation leads to high ammonia levels, damaging chickens’ eyes and respiratory systems. Research indicates that many broiler chickens spend most of their short lives in continuous pain.

Initiatives such as the European Chicken Commitment propose improved welfare standards, including more space, natural light, enrichment, and slower-growing breeds. When implemented, the cost increase remains modest — approximately €0.80 per kilogram, or €0.10–€0.15 per portion.

Pigs: As Intelligent as Dogs, Treated Far Worse

Pigs are highly intelligent and emotionally complex animals. They can learn, play, form social bonds, and respond strongly to their environment — abilities comparable to those of dogs.

Despite this, most pigs spend their lives in crowded, barren indoor systems, often without daylight or meaningful movement.

Providing pigs with more space, bedding, environmental enrichment, and opportunities for natural behavior does increase production costs. However, for consumers, this typically translates into only a few extra cents per portion.

The issue, therefore, is not affordability but willingness.

Additional context: In the EU, at least 75% of pigs are raised in large-scale industrial farms; in the United States, this figure exceeds 90%. While small family farms still exist in Turkey, production is rapidly shifting toward intensive systems.

Gestation crates confine pregnant sows for months without allowing them to turn around. Although partially banned in some regions, they remain widespread. More humane systems involve group housing, enriched environments, and outdoor access.

Improving pig welfare may be costly at the production level, but for consumers it often costs less than a side of fries.

Cows: Large Animals, Quiet Suffering

Cows are long-lived, social animals with strong memories. Yet in both the dairy and meat industries, many are pushed to their physical limits under intensive production systems.

Better housing, increased space, and reduced production pressure for dairy cows raise milk prices by only a small margin per liter. In beef production, welfare improvements similarly translate into cents per portion.

Once again, the pattern is clear: Significant suffering results in only minimal savings.

Additional context: High-yield dairy cows are repeatedly impregnated, leading to exhaustion and chronic health problems. In the EU and United States, the average dairy cow rarely reaches even half of her natural lifespan.

Free-stall barns, pasture access, and lower-yield systems significantly improve animal health. These systems typically increase milk prices by only a few cents per liter.

Turkey still holds potential for pasture-based systems, although industrial models are expanding rapidly.

Ducks: The Least Discussed

Ducks are often absent from public discussions on animal welfare, despite serious issues in industrial duck farming. Naturally adapted to life in water, many ducks never experience it.

Providing better conditions increases costs, but once again, the difference for consumers rarely exceeds a few extra cents per meal.

Additional context: Ducks are social and curious animals whose feather condition and behavior deteriorate significantly without access to water.

Practices such as foie gras production have been banned in many countries but continue globally. Although duck consumption in Turkey is limited, imported products indirectly support these systems.

Other Animals

Sheep, goats, turkeys, fish — the species differ, but the underlying logic remains the same. The cheaper production becomes, the more intensive it grows; the more intensive it grows, the more suffering it causes.

Bivalves such as mussels, which lack a central nervous system, occupy a different ethical category and generally have a lower environmental impact.

Cheap Food, Devalued Food, and Massive Waste

One of the most troubling consequences of cheap meat is food waste. Because it is inexpensive, we buy too much. We fail to consume it. It spoils. It is thrown away. An animal has suffered for nothing.

This issue extends far beyond meat. Globally, the most wasted foods are fruits and vegetables, with approximately 40–50% lost before consumption.

This waste:

· Increases pressure for overproduction

· Raises food prices

· Depletes natural resources

· Intensifies demand for faster and cheaper animal production

In this way, food waste indirectly fuels animal suffering.

What Can We Do?

The solutions are surprisingly simple:

· Consume less meat, but more consciously

· Learn labeling systems and support local, traceable production

· Buy only what we need in fruits and vegetables

· Reduce food waste

· Start valuing food again

Meat is not something to consume thoughtlessly. Fruits and vegetables are not infinite resources.

All food deserves respect.

Final Words

This article is not intended to create guilt. It is meant to remind us of responsibility.

We already love animals. We already love food.

Paying a little more, buying a little less, wasting less, and thinking more can significantly reduce the burden on animals, people, and the planet.

Systems do not change on their own. Markets follow demand. Demand follows us.

We have power. Now we need to use it.    Thanks for reading.

Author’s Note

This article is based on publicly available scientific research, reports from international institutions, and official guidelines. The information obtained from these sources has been synthesized, and all interpretations, evaluations, and the ethical perspective presented in the text belong solely to the author.

A published opinion and research-based article examining the ethical, economic, and animal welfare implications of industrial meat production. The article explores how minimal price increases could significantly reduce animal suffering while maintaining meat consumption, and emphasizes the role of informed consumer choice.

References (APA 7)

General Animal Welfare and Industrial Farming

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Animal production and health guidelines. FAO.

World Organisation for Animal Health. (n.d.). Terrestrial animal health code. WOAH.

Compassion in World Farming. (n.d.). The welfare of farmed animals. CIWF.

Humane Society International. (n.d.). Animal welfare issues in industrial farming. HSI.

Chickens – Egg and Meat Industries

European Commission. (1999). Council Directive 1999/74/EC laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens.

European Food Safety Authority. (2010). Scientific opinion on the welfare of broilers and broiler breeders. EFSA Journal.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2013). Poultry development review. FAO.

RSPCA. (n.d.). Welfare standards for chickens. RSPCA Assured.

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Poultry—Production and value summary. USDA.

Male Chick Culling and Alternatives

German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. (2021). Ban on chick culling and in-ovo sex determination. BMEL.

European Parliament Research Service. (2021). Ending the culling of male chicks in the EU. EPRS.

Pigs

European Food Safety Authority. (2007). The welfare of pigs. EFSA Journal.

European Commission. (n.d.). Pig housing and welfare regulations.

Fraser, D. (2008). Understanding animal welfare: The science in its cultural context. Wiley-Blackwell.

Stanford University. (n.d.). Animal cognition research: Pigs. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Humane Society of the United States. (n.d.). Gestation crates and sow welfare. HSUS.

Cows – Meat and Dairy Production

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2011). Guide to good dairy farming practice. FAO.

European Food Safety Authority. (2009). Scientific opinion on dairy cow welfare. EFSA Journal.

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Dairy cattle management practices. USDA.

Grandin, T. (2015). Improving animal welfare: A practical approach (2nd ed.). CABI.

Ducks and Other Poultry

European Food Safety Authority. (2017). Welfare of ducks. EFSA Journal.

Compassion in World Farming. (n.d.). The welfare of ducks on farm. CIWF.

World Animal Protection. (n.d.). Duck farming and welfare concerns. WAP.

European Commission. (n.d.). Animal welfare implications of foie gras production.

Mussels and Invertebrates

Birch, J., et al. (2021). Review of the evidence of sentience in cephalopod molluscs and decapod crustaceans. London School of Economics.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Bivalve aquaculture sustainability. FAO.

European Parliament. (2020). Invertebrate sentience and ethical considerations.

Food Waste (Meat, Fruits, and Vegetables)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2011). Global food losses and food waste. FAO.

United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). Food waste index report. UNEP.

World Resources Institute. (n.d.). Reducing food loss and waste. WRI.

European Commission. (n.d.). Food waste prevention in the EU.

Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Food waste and sustainability.

Economics, Consumer Behavior, and Ethics

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (n.d.). Animal welfare and trade. OECD.

Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivore’s dilemma. Penguin Press.

Singer, P. (2009). Animal liberation. HarperCollins.

Slow Food International. (n.d.). Good, clean, and fair food principles.