Abstract Imagine a zoopolis—a state that respects animals’ rights. What would the food system of the zoopolis look like? Ethicists typically assume that the zoopolis would be a vegan state. This book, however, argues that we can have our cow and eat her too—that we can respect animal rights while still having access to the animal-based foods we value. There are principled reasons that should lead us, as a matter of ideal theory, to be reluctant about fully endorsing plant-based food systems, even if animals have rights. These include concerns on both humans’ behalf and animals’ behalf. Consequently, if we could identify an animal-rights-respecting, but non-vegan, food system, the zoopolis should be ready to permit it, and even support it. What might this food system contain? This book explores non-sentient—unthinking, unfeeling—invertebrates, as well as those who may be non-sentient. It looks to highly realistic plant-based meats (and other plant-based ‘animal’ products). It considers cellular agriculture, which can produce animal products (such as cultivated meat or milk) with no or little animal involvement. And it asks if we could respectfully keep chickens for their eggs. Although a single book cannot show that a particular food system is the all-things-considered best, it can show that there are a range of reasons for us to believe that a non-vegan food system would be preferable to a fully plant-based system, even in a state that robustly protects animals’ rights.
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