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New Welfarism Animal welfare has a variation called new welfarism, in outlook a cross between animal rights and animal welfare. New welfarism is the view that the best way to prevent animal suffering is to abolish the causes of animal suffering, but that abolition is an ideal long-term goal and meanwhile we must be pragmatic and improve the conditions of animals by advancing their welfare. Thus, for instance, new welfarists want to phase out fur farms and animal experiments but in the short-term they try to improve conditions for the animals in these systems, so they lobby to make cages less constrictive to reduce the numbers of animals used in laboratories.
New welfarism stands somewhere between animal welfare and animal rights. Animal welfarists believe people should use animals but treat them well. Animal rightists say people should not use animals and we must abolish the causes of animal suffering, for if there is no suffering then there is no need for welfare. New welfarists take the view that they support abolishing the causes of suffering but argue pragmatically that it will take a long time to achieve and meanwhile they must do all they can to support the welfare of animals.
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Old style 'animal welfarism'.
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A major criticism of new welfarism by animal rightists is that it does not stop the exploitation of animals, even supports it, and therefore is a useless philosophy and the ultimate act of betrayal for animals. New welfarists respond by claiming that new welfarism is more achievable, and therefore of more immediate benefit to exploited animals, than the long-term and perhaps impossible goals of animal rights, such as demanding complete closure of anti-animal industries and changing the deep seated habits of billions of people.
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