Abstract
Some people express their concerns about the suffering and death of farm animals by becoming vegetarian or vegan, but others think that eating food from sentient animals is justifiable. Such food should come from animals with the best possible welfare, and this is affected by people's food choices. Welfare can be improved by reducing animal numbers and looking after those animals more carefully, with increased attention to individuals. Some of the most important factors that affect this are body size, longevity, group size, the amount of animal products that people eat and the price the farmer receives. As an example, I argue that relatively long-lived, high-value cattle such as rose veal calves are more likely to have a good life than short-lived, low-value chickens. I propose that to safeguard welfare it is best to choose 'food with a name', from a system or farm in which the animals are actually, or might potentially be, given a name. Other names are also important, such as the name of the farmer or farm that produces the food and the name of the brand under which it is sold.