03:39
Most chickens slaughtered in the UK are now gassed to death using high concentration CO2, including from RSPCA-certified farms. When undercover footage of gassed chickens emerged, an RSPCA spokesperson stated in The Independent that “the birds in the footage were already unconscious and were not in pain,” despite behavioural signs of consciousness. In this study we examined relevant scientific evidence and concluded that this killing method causes severe and prolonged distress. Instead of defending such methods, we argued the RSPCA could assist in securing the replacement of CO2 stunning/sl...
04:16
A summary of our 2025 study https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/22/3256 on the contributions of animal agriculture to climate change and broader environmental harms. The findings suggest that, globally, animal agriculture accounts for 12 - 20% of greenhouse gas emissions annually, and probably more. In light of the forecasted failure to keep warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial averages, policy makers at COP30 and elsewhere are urged to urgently enact commitments to reduce production and consumption of animal-sourced foods.
Full study: Mace, J.L.; Knight, A.; Vieira, F.; Tatemoto, P.; Gamei...
03:36
A summary of our 2025 study https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/20/2988 on the consumer acceptance of sustainable – especially vegan – diets for dogs. This survey of 2,639 dog guardians worldwide revealed that 43% of those feeding meat-based diets would realistically consider more sustainable diets. Cultivated meat, vegetarian and vegan diets were popular sustainable options. Full study: Mace, J. L., Bauer, A., Knight, A., & Nicholles, B. (2025). Consumer acceptance of sustainable dog diets: a survey of 2639 dog guardians. Animals, 15(20), 2988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15202988
03:41
A summary of our 2025 study https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/20/2984 on the consumer acceptance of sustainable – especially vegan – diets for cats. This survey of 1,380 cat guardians worldwide revealed that 51% of those feeding meat-based diets would realistically consider more sustainable diets. Cultivated meat, vegan and vegetarian diets were popular sustainable options. Full study: Mace, J. L., Bauer, A., Knight, A., & Nicholles, B. (2025). Consumer acceptance of sustainable cat diets: a survey of 1380 cat guardians. Animals, 15(20), 2984. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/20/2984
04:43
Governmental and industry representatives have repeatedly claimed that Aotearoa New Zealand leads the world on animal welfare. Unfortunately, however, it is clear that substantial welfare problems remain prevalent within the farming of all main species within New Zealand. My article at https://rebrand.ly/2020/AW-in-NZ (also at https://AndrewKnight.info) and summarised here, also provides recommendations about how animal welfare could be improved in NZ, and why it should be.
04:44
Should we experiment on non-human primates (NHPs)? A short introduction to the harms and benefits of such research, and a call for greater protection of NHPs. Introduces our article: Carvalho, C., Gaspar, A., Knight, A., and Vicente, L. (2019). Ethical and scientific pitfalls concerning laboratory research with non-human primates, and possible solutions. Animals, 9(1), 12. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/1/12 (also at https://AndrewKnight.info).
05:35
A quick introduction to our report examining the animal welfare problems and disease risks created by intensive meat chicken farming, including the risks of future global pandemics. It also highlights action supermarkets can take to address these risks.
The full report is: Open Cages, Knight A and Wiebers D (2020). A British Pandemic: the Cruelty and Danger of Supermarket Chicken. UK: Open Cages. https://www.andrewknight.info/reports/supermarket-chicken-and-pandemics/
01:39
Summarises the animal welfare problems experienced by sow confined within farrowing crates. Introduces my 2018 report 'Uncaging New Zealand's Sows: Scrutinising New Zealand’s Farrowing Crates': https://www.andrewknight.info/reports/sow-farrowing-crates-new-zealand/
05:17
Can animal experiments help cure depression? Unfortunately not, because animal research contributes little to human medical developments in this field. Here, we summarise our studies of the contributions of different forms of research to advances in depression understanding and treatment. Our full papers may be found at https://rebrand.ly/2020/MDD-Front-Psych, https://rebrand.ly/2020/MDD-PLoS-ONE, https://rebrand.ly/2019/MDD and also at https://AndrewKnight.info.
05:11
Harmful animal use in education and training remains widespread among life and health sciences disciplines. Humane teaching alternatives include ethically-sourced cadavers, models, mannequins, mechanical simulators, videos, computer and virtual reality simulations, and supervised clinical and surgical experiences. In this study we assessed and summarized studies of their educational effectiveness, through the process of a systematic review. We found 50 published educational studies of students, within which humane teaching methods produced learning outcomes superior (30%), equivalent (60%),...
03:26
In response to the illegal wildlife trade, wild animals are often seized, confiscated, and subsequent managed. Unfortunately, confiscated live animals often experience substandard care. We interviewed 18 experts from seven countries in Southeast Asia, to investigate barriers to appropriate care and management, and particularly, appropriate ‘disposal’ of confiscated live animals. We proposed seven recommendations to help support the efficient and humane management of illegally traded wildlife in Southeast Asia and globally. Our study ‘Surviving the Wildlife Trade in Southeast Asia: Reforming...
03:38
There are around 160 million farmed animals based in New Zealand. The heavy national footprint of animal agriculture within New Zealand has had devastating impacts for its environment, public health, and animal welfare. This report describes how, and why, a transition to a cleaner, greener, plant-based future, can be achieved. Most of the concerns are applicable to any country, as are the solutions. The full report is ‘The Green Protein Report: Meeting New Zealand’s Climate Change Targets by 2030 Through Reduced Reliance on Animal Agriculture’, by Jasmijn de Boo and Prof. Andrew Knight. Fin...