Veganomics : Vers une Approche Economique du Véganisme ?

Economics is not interested in animals. The object of this paper is to stimulate research in economics about animals and about veganism. By veganism, we mean all types of behaviors which consist in modifying (and not only eliminating) the use and the consumption of animals for moral reasons. We propose a selective introduction to the topic, focused on meat consumption and on the treatment of farm animals. Meat is at the crossroads nowadays because of its health and environmental externalities, and because of the rise of vegetarianism in developed countries. The economics of veganism –or veganomics– can help better understand the behavior of consumers (omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians) as well as its implications for the strategies of producers, animal activists and policy makers, and in turn better understand a world in which the relation between humans and animals can profoundly evolve.