“Prioritise soil animals over farmed invertebrates?” by Vasco Grilo🔸
Description
Summary
- I would say the total welfare of soil animals is overdetermined to be much larger than that of farmed invertebrates in absolute terms. The individual welfare per animal-year of soil ants and termites should not differ much from that of farmed invertebrates, and I calculate the population of soil ants and termites is 3.93 M times that of farmed black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and mealworms, and 652 k times that of farmed shrimps.
- Projects targeting soil animals receive way less funding than ones targeting farmed invertebrates. The Wild Animal Initiative (WAI) granted 460 k$ to projects targeting invertebrates until 7 November 2025. In contrast, the Shrimp Welfare Project (SWP) received 2.9 M$ in 2024.
- I believe interventions changing land use can increase welfare much more cost-effectively than ones targeting farmed invertebrates. I estimate funding the Centre for Exploratory Altruism Research's (CEARCH's) High Impact Philanthropy Fund (HIPF), which I calculate increases agricultural land by 1.29 k m2-years per $, changes the welfare of soil ants, termites, springtails, mites, and nematodes 3.43 k times as cost-effectively as SWP's Humane Slaughter Initiative (HSI) increases the welfare of shrimps.
- I recommend research on the welfare of soil animals in different biomes over pursuing whatever land use change interventions naively look the most cost-effective. I have little [...]
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Outline:
(00:11 ) Summary
(03:04 ) The total welfare of soil animals is much larger in absolute terms
(08:37 ) Projects targeting soil animals receive way less funding
(09:23 ) Interventions changing land use can increase welfare much more cost-effectively than ones targeting farmed invertebrates
(10:29 ) I recommend research informing how to increase the welfare of soil animals
(11:20 ) There is no escape from the uncertainty of the effects on soil animals
(14:27 ) Interested in funding research informing how to increase the welfare of soil animals?
(14:54 ) Acknowledgements
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First published:
November 15th, 2025
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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
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