Producers of broiler chicken products have no reason to be concerned about the forthcoming launch of Beyond Meat’s plant-based poultry range, the chairman of the Russian National Meat Association said in comforting tones, ignoring forecasts from Deloitte of a 10 per cent growth in the plant-based food sector per year in Russia.

While the ‘beef’ industry is often thought of as one of the worst greenhouse gas emitters and contributors to rainforest destruction and the ensuing climate crisis, a new report reminds us that other agricultural sectors have a lot to answer for including, not least of all, the UK’s free-range egg producers.

Wire noose traps, or snares, are responsible for causing “unimaginable pain and distress” not just to their intended targets such as foxes and rabbits, but to badgers and other wildlife too. Even companion animals such as cats and dogs regularly fall victim to these cruel devices, according to Animal Aid’s latest ‘Ban Snares’ campaign.

The Queen’s Speech unveiled a proposal to limit the sale of foie gras after years of public outrage against the product, but why are we still turning away from the suffering of animals used for food on our own doorstep?

A new initiative aimed at improving the welfare of laying hens gives insights into the strange way that the egg industry conceives of hen welfare. The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) and British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) are collaborating to encourage people to buy a range of egg sizes instead of only large or very large ones, which have become more popular than small and medium-sized eggs. Laying large eggs can be painful and dangerous to the hens.

Non-human animals are to be formally recognised as sentient beings by law, the UK Government has announced, as part of a range of new animal welfare measures including the ending of most forms of live animal export and a ban on the import of hunting trophies.

The discovery of 160 puppies and kittens being transported illegally through China’s postal service last week has thrown the country’s cruel ‘pet blind box’ craze into the spotlight.

What is animal labour? Do all animals work or only some? If we recognise them as workers, should they enjoy labour rights? These were some of the questions discussed at an online roundtable last weekend on May 1, the traditional day of remembrance for labour-related struggles.

The tragic story of Bowser the family dog, who was euthanised by YouTuber Nikki Phillippi and her husband Dan out of apparent fear for their child’s safety, has sparked a massive outcry with much of social media accusing the family of being murderers. What does this tell us about our attitudes to non-human animals? An awful lot, it seems.

People who love eating animals frequently say things like ‘but bacon is delicious’ when confronted with evidence of the cruelty of intensive animal farming or of the intelligence of animals, to make them morally uncomfortable. A new study has found that they may engage in similar “motivated skepticism [sic]” to willfully ignore the pandemic risks of factory farming and meat consumption.

The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill has received the Royal Assent paving the way for tougher prison sentences of up to five years for those convicted of unnecessary animal cruelty. Seen by many as complementary to Finn’s Law, which protects service animals such as police dogs, such laws are great news for some animals but not for most others reminding us once again that society still has a long way to go to overcome its speciesism.

It’s long been a criticism of vegan diets that our ‘fake meat’ products are too expensive when compared to the original cruelty-ridden versions. But no longer it seems, at least at Co-op with the announcement that it will slash prices to create parity between items like its plant-based burgers and sausages and the versions non-vegans buy.