The United States of America (US) is an extremely poor performer under the VACI, and ranked second worst of the countries surveyed.
Let's just call things what they are. When a man's love of finery clouds his moral judgement, that is vanity. When he allows a demanding palate to make his moral choices, that is gluttony. When he ascribes the divine will to his own whims, that is pride. And when he gets angry at being reminded of animal suffering that his own daily choices might help avoid, that is moral cowardice.
Matthew Scully
The United States of America (US) is an extremely poor performer under the VACI, and ranked second worst of the countries surveyed.
The US slaughters around 28.4 land-based animals per person / year, which is the fourth highest of the countries surveyed and almost triple that of the global average of 9.7. The country’s dependency on farm animals is also high, with around 7.5 farm animals per person (compared with a global average of around 4). Factory farming is widespread, particularly in veal, cattle, poultry and pig production. Specific states have sought to prohibit sow stalls, veal crates and battery cages.
The American diet contains a very high proportion of animal products, with around 61.1% of the average American’s diet being made up of land-based animal protein (compared with a global average of 35.2%). This is 6th highest level of consumption of the countries surveyed and equates to each person consuming around 64.7g of land-based animal protein per day (compared with a global average of 26.7g). A 2015 poll estimates that 3.4% of the population identified as vegetarian.
The US was given a “D” under the Animal Protection Index (API), and is a moderate performer under the Sanctioning Cruelty category. Federal animal protection laws are lacking, and the content and scope of legislation at a state level varies substantially. Learn more about the quality of the legislative protections in the US on the API here.