Projects
Pathways to protecting farmed animals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
— Animetrics, Sezin Ekinci, and Middle East Vegan Society, January 2026
What are people’s attitudes, beliefs, and levels of support regarding different pathways to improving outcomes for farmed animals in Saudi Arabia? What are the main barriers and facilitators of change? We examine how the public relates to farmed animals and industrial animal agriculture in a country with a large population, rising demand for animal-based foods, and a food system shaped by religious, cultural, and institutional factors.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Finalized Projects
Pathways to protecting farmed animals in Qatar
— Animetrics, Sezin Ekinci, and Middle East Vegan Society, January 2026
What are people’s attitudes, beliefs, and levels of support regarding different pathways to improving outcomes for farmed animals in Qatar? What are the main barriers and facilitators of change? We examine how the public relates to farmed animals and industrial animal agriculture in a highly import-dependent and water-scarce country with very high per-capita incomes and rising demand for animal-source foods.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Pathways to protecting farmed animals in Kuwait
— Animetrics, Sezin Ekinci, and Middle East Vegan Society, January 2026
What are people’s attitudes, beliefs, and levels of support regarding different pathways to improving outcomes for farmed animals in Kuwait? What are the main barriers and facilitators of change? We examine how the public relates to farmed animals and industrial animal agriculture in a hyper-arid Gulf state with limited domestic food production, heavy dependence on imports, and high consumption of animal-source foods within a predominantly meat-centered food system.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Pathways to protecting farmed animals in United Arab Emirates
— Animetrics, Sezin Ekinci, and Middle East Vegan Society, January 2026
What are people’s attitudes, beliefs, and levels of support regarding different pathways to improving outcomes for farmed animals in the United Arab Emirates? What are the main barriers and facilitators of change? We examine how the public relates to farmed animals and industrial animal agriculture in a high-income Gulf country with severe constraints on domestic food production, rapid population growth, heavy reliance on imports, and diets dominated by animal-source and processed foods.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Pathways to protecting farmed animals in Lebanon
— Animetrics, Sezin Ekinci, and Middle East Vegan Society, January 2026
What are people’s attitudes, beliefs, and levels of support regarding different pathways to improving outcomes for farmed animals in Lebanon? What are the main barriers and facilitators of change? We examine how the public relates to farmed animals and industrial animal agriculture in a small Eastern Mediterranean country with a strong reliance on food imports, significant demographic pressure from refugee populations, and a shift toward more Westernized, animal-based, and processed diets.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
I thought that wasn’t Halal! - What Muslim consumers know (and don’t know) about animal welfare in halal food production
— Animetrics, June 2025
This study examines whether Muslim consumers’ beliefs about animal welfare align with actual practices in halal-certified production, and whether providing accurate information affects purchase intentions. Using Türkiye as a case study, the findings highlight key knowledge gaps and indicate that information provision could be a promising opportunity to influence consumer responses and support more effective advocacy in similar settings.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Evaluating Consumer Confusion: The Case of Labeling Restrictions on Plant-Based Cheese in Türkiye
— Animetrics and Dr. Gizem Kurt, December 2024
As global regulations increasingly restrict the use of terms like “cheese” or “meat” for plant-based alternatives—often based on concerns about consumer confusion—this study examines whether such concerns are justified and how confusion might be better addressed. Using Türkiye as a case study, we find that consumers are generally uncertain about the contents of plant-based alternatives, but that removing the term “cheese” does not reduce this confusion. In contrast, clear vegan labeling, such as the V-label, significantly improves consumer understanding, suggesting more effective alternatives to restrictive naming bans.
Questions, feedback, or need help applying the findings? Take this 2-minute feedback survey.
Tech and Data in the Movement
— Animetrics and Vegan Hacktivists, August 2023
What is the level of technology and data utilization in the movement, what are the challenges, and what can be done? In collaboration with Vegan Hacktivists and with insights from Faunalytics, we conducted the first-of-its-kind study to understand how our movement leverages technology. Our extensive 50-page report explores technology utilization across topics such as employment, websites, applications, social media, data collection and analysis, and security. By highlighting both challenges and opportunities, we present actionable recommendations to pave the way for a more technologically adept and data-driven movement.
Ongoing Projects
Muslim Perspectives on Animal Welfare and Halal Food Systems
— Animetrics and Kaleem Ahmid
How do Muslims around the world perceive farmed animal welfare? What role do religious beliefs, values, and dietary guidelines—such as halal—play in shaping attitudes toward meat consumption and animal treatment? We are conducting the first large-scale, cross-country study of Muslim perspectives on farmed animal welfare and the halal food system, spanning 15 countries. This research is particularly timely as the global Muslim population continues to grow and gain economic influence, making their consumer choices increasingly impactful on animal welfare outcomes. By examining the intersection of Islamic teachings, dietary practices, and animal welfare concerns, this study will provide essential insights for animal advocacy organizations—especially those that include Muslim communities within their target audience. The findings will support the development of effective, culturally grounded strategies for improving farmed animal welfare standards and reducing animal-based product consumption.
Direct and Spillover Effects of Educational Interventions on Attitudes Toward Plant-Based Diets: Evidence from a Controlled Experiment
— Animetrics, Mercy for Animals, and Bryant Research
We explore how educational programs can directly change attitudes about plant-based diets and how these changes might spread to friends. Using a controlled experimental design with university students, we aim to understand if students who receive the intervention change their views and if their peers, who don’t participate, also change their opinions through spillovers. This is important because understanding these spillover effects provides a more complete view of how educational strategies influence broader dietary shifts and helps us design more effective interventions that reach beyond the initial participants.
Future Projects
Policy Makers' Preferences and Strategies for Driving Change
— Animetrics
In this study, we plan to conduct an experiment with policymakers to assess their preferences for specific types of research output. The objective is to uncover the most effective strategies for driving policy change.