This bookexplores the economic institutions that determine the nature of animal lives assystematically exploited objects traded in a market economy. It examines humanroles and choice in the system, including the economic logic of agriculture,experimentation, and animal ownership, and analyses the marginalization ofethical action in the economic system.
Animals and the Economy demonstrates that individual consumers andfarmers are often left with few truly animal-friendly choices. Ethicalparticipants in the economy must either face down an array of institutionalbarriers, or exit mainstream markets entirely. This bookargues that these issues are not necessary elements of a market system, andevaluates a number of policy changes that could improve the lives of animals inthe context of a market economy.