The hidden cost of cheap meat exposed by Peter Singer

Become a Big Think member to unlock expert classes, premium print issues, exclusive events and morePrinceton Bioethics professor Peter Singer challenges our factory food systems, the underlying psychology that fuels them, and shares a path towards more ethical eating.

Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ►

Up next, from our friends at Hard ResetStep inside a cultivated meat factory ►

Peter Singer, professor of Bioethics and author of "Animal Liberation Now," examines the deep-seated issues within our food systems, highlighting the ethical dilemmas surrounding animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and consumer choices.

Through a critical lens, Singer unveils the realities of factory farming, from the confinement of egg-laying hens to the rapid growth of broiler chickens, questioning the moral justifications of speciesism and advocating for a shift towards ethical eating. He argues for the importance of considering the capacity for suffering in determining moral status, proposing plant-based diets and cultured meat as viable, sustainable alternatives.

Singer’s interview encourages viewers to reflect on the impact of their dietary habits, offering insights into how informed choices can contribute to a more ethical and sustainable future.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Go Deeper with Big Think:

►Become a Big Think Member

Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more.

►Get Big Think+ for Business

Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Peter Singer:

Peter Singer has been described as the world’s most influential philosopher. Born in Melbourne in 1946, he has been professor of bioethics at Princeton University since 1999. His many books include Animal Liberation - often credited with triggering the modern animal rights movement - Practical Ethics, The Life You Can Save, The Most Good You Can Do, and Ethics in the Real World. In 2023, he published Animal Liberation Now, a fully revised and updated version of the 1975 original.

Singer’s writings have also inspired the movement known as effective altruism, and he is the founder of the charity The Life You Can Save. In 2021 he was awarded the $1 million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, which he donated to nonprofit organizations working for the causes he supports. In 2023 he received the Frontiers of Knowledge Prize for the Humanities, from the Spanish BBVA Foundation.