Farmed Animal Opportunity Index

The FAOI, developed by Mercy For Animals, ranks 60 countries according to their potential for impactful interventions using 19 key socioeconomic factors. This interactive tool helps animal protection organizations and donors decide where their resources can make the greatest difference for farmed animals worldwide. Higher scores indicate greater potential for effective action.

The FAOI serves as a first step for users in choosing which countries might benefit most from their interventions. By pulling together reliable public data, it gives a snapshot of each country’s potential impact for farmed animal protection. While it includes 19 significant factors, other factors should be considered. So while the index is a strong starting point, additional analysis is encouraged to guide final decisions.

Mercy For Animals evaluates countries based on four key considerations:

        Scale of the Issue—how large or extensive the problem is
        Tractability—how possible it is to make progress
        Neglectedness—how much attention the issue is already receiving
        Global Influence—the country’s influence on other nations

The first three considerations align with effective altruism principles, but we’ve added “Global Influence,” as changes in key countries can trigger positive shifts worldwide. The FAOI score combines scale, tractability, and global influence. Neglectedness is shown separately and can be seen by hovering over each country on the map.

The FAOI uses a method based on the OECD’s guidelines for combined scores. Mercy For Animals’ research team gathered data, categorized it, and used various techniques to address missing information. Scores were standardized to a 0–100 scale and then combined, with equal weights, to create the final FAOI score that ranks countries by potential impact.

For a detailed version of the methodology, please click the button below.