Ultimately, such groups and animal-welfare and liberation scholars have prompted the United Nations (UN) to incorporate animal protection and welfare into its long-range goals that essentially envisage a world “in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other living species are protected” (UN Division of Sustainable Development, 2015, Our Vision section, para. The persistent message disseminated by such groups has called attention to animal farmers’ treatment of animals as well as to the benefits of plant-based diets and their potential to replace animal-based foods. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 2017 Vegan Outreach, 2014). Animal-welfare and liberation groups continue to create awareness of animal cruelty, environmental degradation caused by intensive animal farming, and humane ways that animals should be treated (see Farm Animal Rights Movement, n.d. This article argues that concepts related to nonhuman animal welfare and liberation should be introduced during children’s education because current educational approaches do little to familiarize children with such concepts prior to adulthood, at which point ideologies that hierarchize humans and nonhuman animals may become entrenched (Foer, 2009a, 2009b). This paper draws on animal-welfare and liberation literature to argue that augmenting children’s knowledge about animal welfare and liberation can foster children’s understanding, language, philosophy, and ability to make informed choices about their relationship with animals and the environment in general. Conversely, children’s knowledge about animal welfare increases when exposed to literature on the topic, which enables them to make informed choices regarding meat consumption. Moreover, research reveals that education related to animal welfare and liberation is systematically excluded from children’s education, and they thus remain unaware of the sources and associated health hazards of meat they consume. Studies indicate that animal-welfare activists’ and abolitionists’ efforts to date may be insufficient given the pervasive environmental destruction and ongoing animal suffering.
This article examined reasons why information pertaining to nonhuman animal welfare and liberation should be introduced during childhood.