This interview is set on Earth. Marco is an experienced traveller to the OboxPlanet. 

Interviewer: I like Mahatma Gandhi’s wisdom on this topic: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Are animals treated better on the OboxPlanet than on Earth?

Marco: Yes, definitely. The first reason is that the people are wealthier, and secondly, there’s a competition for innovation, transparency, and credibility.

Interviewer: How does wealth directly relate to animal welfare?

Marco: As the German playwright Bertolt Brecht once bluntly put it, “First comes food, then comes morality.” It is not in our nature to treat animals well, it is a moral issue. As long as people struggle for their daily sustenance, animal welfare tends to take a back seat. Poor people, poor animals—exceptions exist, of course. But It’s no coincidence that the first animal welfare societies emerged alongside growing wealth at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in 19th-century England, the US and other western countries.

Interviewer: But even in wealthy countries, we have factory farms.

Marco: That brings us to the issue of transparency and incentives. I used to think: for serious problems, there’s the state. The state t enacts animal protection laws, ensuring a minimum level of morality—anything beyond that is a luxury. The problem is that producers have powerful interests and often influence regulations in their favor. They can even manage to hide and obscure the reality if necessary.

Interviewer: At least there are some minimum standards, which is better than nothing.

Marco: The danger with state regulations is that people relinquish responsibility and stop paying close attention. I claim that many consumers and voters are unaware of what really goes on in some places on Earth; they wouldn’t accept it if they knew.

Interviewer: Okay, let’s look at how it works on the OboxPlanet. Can you be more specific? How does everyday life differ from Earth in this regard?

Marco: There’s a competition for transparency. Most animal products, from eggs to meat, show the production process, and packaging often illustrates the production facilities. Many production sites offer tours, and products can be bought on-site. This exists on Earth too, but it’s much more flexible and innovative on the OboxPlanet because there are no state-imposed obstacles. Most products have two quality indicators: one for hygiene, nutrients, and additives in the feed or the final product, and another for animal welfare.

Interviewer: But isn’t it convenient for the state to set minimum standards for people who aren’t interested, sparing them the trouble?

Marco: Convenience is an important human need, and that’s why there are also options for impatient and less interested customers. I remind you of a huge general difference from Earth: the OboxPlanet has no politics, no election campaigns, no ideologies, no bureaucratic hurdles or permits, no corruption, foreign policy, or wars. People have much more time and capacity to focus on personally important issues like morality and health – and animal welfare.

Interviewer: What are the biggest differences between state and private quality standards?

Marco: State standards are, at best, developed by a group of experts who must rely on existing knowledge. New insights have to wait for the next revision and there is little incentive for revisions. Meanwhile, many producers wonder why they should strive for any improvements or research at all. On OboxPlanet, in contrast, there’s constant competition to improve all aspects of production and marketing, including how quality criteria are measured and presented. There’s intensive collaboration with universities, zoos, and innovative producers.

Interviewer: And who ensures that the standards are adhered to?

Marco: The profit motive, probably the most powerful motive of all. On Earth, we must rely on the honesty and incorruptibility of officials. On OboxPlanet, competition ensures that the competition and journalists scrutinize everything closely.

Interviewer: But aren’t such organizations prone to corruption and biased reports?

Marco: Of course, there are black sheep here and there. However, on Earth, the state holds a monopoly. You only need to bribe one entity. If fraud is exposed, it may cause a scandal, but the institution and the state’s tasks remain intact. In the market, it’s much riskier. If negligence is exposed, it costs a company a lot of money. If fraud is discovered, the company’s very existence is at stake.

Interviewer: Let’s talk about vegetarians. Are there more of them, and what’s the difference from Earth?

Marco: I don’t know the exact numbers. Notably, the industry is extremely innovative, unhampered by state regulations and obstacles. Another difference is the existence of various communities with concentrations of vegetarians and vegans. People who hold these beliefs as a significant moral concern feel more comfortable among like-minded individuals. And mobility is greater on the OboxPlanet, again because there are no state-imposed barriers.