Good Morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],

Are free-range eggs, ethically raised chickens, or humane meat oxymorons?

That was a question posed this week by one of the hosts of Two by Two, Rohin Dharmakumar.

All four guests featured in the episode said they didn’t think those terms are contradictory.

Eggs and meat are part of a large population’s diet in India and around the world. But the industries that make those foods widely available inflict cruelty upon the animals involved, all to ensure our fridges and pantries stay stocked. 

This week’s Two by Two examined the possibility of setting industry standards for the production of humane meat, and whether that bar can be the norm rather than the exception. Even if, say, a chicken is slaughtered for its meat, could it be raised in a system that treats it fairly?

For instance, could battery cages, which make it nearly impossible for chickens to stand, be done away with? Could we halt the use of antibiotics and other problematic methods of raising animals before their meat is sold to consumers?

The four guests in this week’s episode of Two by Two are all attempting to encourage or practice more humane approaches to producing eggs and meat, and they’ve built businesses and advocacy efforts around those ideals. They believe free-range eggs and pasture-raised chickens embody values that are meaningful to consumers, and more importantly move us away from factory-farmed poultry. These products might have a higher price tag, but you might be more happy when you can say you’re an ethical consumer.

If you care about what you eat, check out the full episode or the episode trailer (Spotify | Apple Podcasts) to hear our guests unpack the animal welfare concerns and market forces that guided their personal and professional choices, the mission behind their work, and what they think about humane meat and eggs.

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This episode features Shan Kadavil, co-founder and CEO of Freshtohome, one of the leading online sellers of meat and fish in India; Dineshkumar Shanmugam, co-founder and CEO of Earthyorigins, a Tamil Nadu-based farm-to-table startup that grows, raises, and sells organic food products, ethically raised chickens, and free-range eggs; K Vijay, the Bengaluru-based founder of another meat startup, Meatright; and Sandeep Reddy, CEO of the India Animal Fund, a nonprofit that brings together a diverse mix of leaders from the corporate sector and animal welfare community to develop strategies for ending all forms of animal harm. They believe that doing the most good means minimising the suffering of animals.

Two By Two • EPISODE 33

How big is the market for treating farmed animals humanely?

Humanely raised meat and eggs sell at a premium, but consumers should demand it to ensure better animal welfare

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For consumers to accept a product that feels familiar but is more expensive, there needs to be clear messaging about why the costlier alternative is better for them. Two by Two host Praveen Gopal Krishnan had a simple suggestion on how to bring about that perception:

The goal is to introduce direct personal benefits rather than compel consumers to make a moral choice. This way, a brand is more likely to form a good connection with its customers.

We live in an era when it’s difficult enough for many to put food on the table. For many people, it’s a privilege to eat meat. Adding a weighty layer would be off-putting, while smaller nudges that focus on the positives for consumers are much more palatable.

There’s no doubt that revamping the way our food is produced—and convincing consumers that there are better ways—is the right choice. Yet progress has been slow.

Shan told us that only 30% of the eggs and 2% of the chicken meat sold by Freshtohome are free-range. Growth in demand for free-range chicken has only gone up from 0.1–0.2% to 2% over the last five years. Keep in mind that Freshtohome is one of India’s largest online sellers of meat and fish, so this development is representative of the broader situation around the country.

This also means introducing even more ethically sourced food products will not lead to significant change, at least not in the case of free-range chicken meat.

Free-range eggs, however, currently have better product-market fit.

Even when taking all of that into consideration, it’s a long, uphill battle to turn things around. Meat and egg producers can start by adopting sounder methods. Meanwhile, it’s also important to educate consumers.

Towards the end of the conversation, Praveen suggested plant-based meats could be the answer in the future. But mature economies like the US don’t seem to be responding well to that alternative. On top of that, the resources required to create that food doesn’t currently justify the output.

For now, the best course of action is to take a more humane approach to sourcing eggs and raising animals for meat.

That’s all for this week. Check out the full episode. Join the discussion by leaving a comment or by writing to us at [email protected].

We’ll be back next week with a new episode.

Regards,
Hari Krishna

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