Millions of animals suffer every day in regions where their welfare is barely on the agenda. But that can change — with the right action, advocacy, and people like you driving progress.
Animal advocacy in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is vital but often overlooked. Despite the vast scale of animal suffering in these regions, animal welfare gets far less attention and resources than in high-income countries. Governments and NGOs in LMICs often focus on other human needs — poverty, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which can leave animal welfare under-resourced and under-prioritised. Yet, focusing on animal advocacy in LMICs can be highly impactful! We strongly encourage advocates from these countries to consider career opportunities to help animals.
In this article, you’ll learn about the key aspects and challenges of building a career in animal advocacy in LMICs. You’ll also hear from four advocates in these regions who we interviewed about their experiences and lessons from working to improve animals’ lives.
The number of farmed animals in LMICs is staggering. As of 2018, Asia and Africa accounted for over 70% of the world’s chicken production, with China and Brazil alone responsible for about 35%. The scale extends beyond chickens—India, for example, is home to over 300 million dairy cows and is the world’s largest milk producer. Therefore, improving welfare standards and reducing the suffering for even a small percentage of farmed animals in LMICs can impact an enormous number of sentient beings.
Animal welfare regulations and public awareness about animal welfare issues tend to be less advanced in LMICs compared to high-income countries. As industrial animal agriculture expands to meet growing demand, factory farming practices banned or phased out in some Western countries are on the rise in these regions. Animals often endure extreme confinement, painful mutilations, and brutal slaughter methods. Basic needs, like proper veterinary care, are frequently neglected, causing immense suffering. Because of this, farmed animals in LMICs urgently need strong advocacy on their behalf.
Choosing to improve animal welfare in LMICs offers you an opportunity to reduce suffering on a massive scale. Reforms to farming practices, public awareness campaigns, legal advocacy, and other interventions could meaningfully improve the lives of billions of animals if implemented successfully. Given the weak animal protection in many of these countries, even small improvements can make an enormous difference.
Moreover, as LMICs develop economically and consumption patterns shift towards higher meat consumption, establishing stronger animal welfare norms and laws now can help mitigate an exponential surge in future animal suffering. It’s crucial to put animal welfare on the agenda before further industrial-scale farming becomes deeply entrenched. From an animal advocacy perspective, focusing on LMICs can be a highly impactful opportunity to reduce suffering in the long run.
Animal advocates in low- and middle-income countries face several challenges. Many of our interviewees mentioned low awareness about animal welfare, lack of clear precedents of successful reforms, legal and political limitations on campaigning and outreach, as well as difficulties in hiring and retaining talent. While these problems are also present in high-income countries, they tend to be more severe in LMICs.
Despite the challenges, there are reasons to be optimistic about animal advocacy in LMICs.
Even if animal welfare is not yet considered a prominent issue, small groups of committed advocates can make meaningful strides in getting animal welfare on the radar of policymakers and corporations for the first time. Here are some options:
These approaches should be tailored to socioeconomic conditions. Still, even modest reforms like these can improve the lives of thousands of animals and influence many people.
| Animal Charity Evaluators recommended charity Farm Animals Protection Association in Turkey, or by the name of its main campaign “Turkey without Cages” – Kafessiz Türkiye worked on cage-free transformation in Turkey, starting from 2017. At that time, animal welfare reforms were almost non-existent in Turkey, which is a developing country. Fortunately, Kafessiz Türkiye has made significant progress in a short period of time. First, companies that aim for wealthy customers were guided to commit to cage-free. Global firms that had branches in Turkey were also steered to adopting the same cage-free standards they accepted elsewhere. As the organisation got more recognition and support, Kafessiz Türkiye also staged pressure campaigns that resulted in large-scale domestic companies to commit to cage-free. |
The greatest impacts of animal advocacy in LMICs will likely build over time. Immediate, large-scale change can be difficult—just as it is in developed countries— but every small step makes further progress more achievable. Today’s small yet tangible wins set important precedents for tomorrow.
It’s worth remembering here that progress in developed countries also followed this gradual path. With patience and perseverance, advocates in LMICs can also achieve meaningful, lasting change.
Another key reason to prioritise animal advocacy in LMICs is that urbanisation and development often happen quickly. When this happens, countries often expand their food systems fast to meet rising demand for meat, eggs, and dairy. Unfortunately, this can lead to a rapid rise in factory farming—as seen in parts of Africa.
While development may initially harm animals, it may also create better conditions for change. As governments and corporations gain more resources, they may be more open to setting higher animal welfare standards. And as the public becomes more educated and financially secure, they may take a greater interest in animal issues and be more willing to support reforms.
Animal advocacy job opportunities are fewer in LMICs, as fewer large charities operate there. But this doesn’t mean advocates can’t make meaningful progress by using their careers. Here are some options you might consider:
While fewer animal charities are working in LMICs compared to high-income countries, many impactful organisations are already making a difference. Some are global NGOs with programmes in these regions, while others are homegrown groups led by local advocates. For example, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection organisations (FIAPO), Sinergia Animal (Brazil), and Kafessiz Türkiye (Turkey) are examples of NGOs founded and run by local advocates. You can also explore networks like the Open Wing Alliance to discover more organisations doing this work.
You could also reach out to local charities focused on companion animals. Some may be open to expanding their work to include farmed animal welfare—especially if a motivated and skilled person expresses interest in joining their team.
All of our interviewees stressed the importance of having a good understanding of the local context. Lacking insight into how producers, corporations, or power structures operate can lead to missteps. On the other hand, strong communication skills and cultural understanding may be a key to success. These lead to the importance of local talent, though foreign staff can also succeed as long as they are mindful of these challenges.
Another impactful path is to work in af field that connects to animal welfare, even if it’s not within an advocacy charity. These “adjacent” careers include areas like academia, media, food corporations, government, health sector and many more. Read more about how these adjacent roles can be highly impactful and a good fit for many people.
Choosing these roles can offer you many benefits:
Several of our interviewees mentioned that getting prestigious professional credentials played an important role in their success. For example, being an expert on animal health or sustainable supply chains, or holding a senior position at a university or a corporation, may significantly increase your ability to influence others and open doors for animal welfare work.
If you’re ready to lead, you can found a new initiative or organisation that transforms animal welfare in your region. With relatively few groups active in many regions, there’s real space—and sometimes real need—for new efforts. In some countries, this might be the only way to get work on farmed animal welfare started.
This path isn’t easy. It’s high-risk, and it comes with big challenges. But for the right person, the potential for impact is huge. You’ll need deep local understanding, strong networks, and a well-thought-out plan. If you have these, support and funding are often available from groups for promising projects.
You can read more about career considerations for founders here.
Some funders to explore include:
One interviewee stressed how useful it was to meet and consult with funders during animal advocacy events. These conversations helped them better understand funders’ priorities. Clear processes and strong monitoring and evaluation systems are things funders look for.
| Want support with your next step? If you’re considering starting an initiative or working in animal advocacy in a low- or middle-income country, we’d love to help. Our free 1-on-1 career advising service can support you in exploring your fit, navigating challenges, and connecting with funding or mentorship opportunities—especially if you’re thinking about founding a new organisation. |
Feeling lost in your career transition? We’re here to help.
You can pursue a high-earning career and donate to support effective animal advocacy where it’s needed most—making a huge impact. Even modest regular donations—just 1–10% of your income—can go a long way in countries where resources are limited.
If you have the opportunity to earn a high income and think you may not be best suited to full-time advocacy, earning to give can be a vital and impactful path. Growing funding for farmed animal advocacy is crucial for the movement’s success everywhere, and especially in resource-constrained LMICs. This support is particularly valuable in countries where foreign funding is limited or restricted.
Growing dedicated funding for farmed animal advocacy is crucial to the movement’s global progress—and you can help make that happen.
| Ready to make a real difference for animals in your country? Whether you want to join an existing charity, explore adjacent careers, start your own initiative, or support the movement through earning to give—we’re here to help you find the path that fits you best. Book a free 1:1 career advising call with us today. Together, we’ll explore your unique skills, local context, and opportunities so you can maximise your impact for animals in your community. Your passion and commitment can change millions of lives—let’s get started. |
The how and why of a career that helps animals in LMICs | Animal Advocacy Careers | EAGxVirtual 2024
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We would like to thank Jacob Ayang from Animal Welfare League, Tom Billington from Fish Welfare Initiative, Emre Kaplan from Kafessiz Türkiye, and Elia Tieva from Tusti Narvai for their time and valuable insights they provided in our interviews with them.
Written by Engin Arikan
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