Since pushing for welfare reforms
often involves working directly with food and clothing industry companies, this work can give the public the impression that these companies treat their
animals well when this is not the case, especially when
animal advocates are incentivized to make the reforms seem like drastic improvements when
animals still
suffer substantially.213 Critics would also argue that, empirically, welfare reforms such as banning battery cages
reduce only a very small portion of the harm of
animal agriculture — if any — so they are not the most cost - effective use of time.214, 215, 216
Since pushing for welfare reforms
often involves working directly with food industry companies, this work can give the public the impression that these companies treat their
animals well when this is not the case, especially when
animal advocates are incentivized to make the reforms seem like drastic improvements when
animals still
suffer substantially.192 Critics would also argue that, empirically, welfare reforms such as banning battery cages
reduce only a very small portion of the harm of
animal agriculture, if any, so they are not the most cost - effective use of time.193, 194, 195