Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals exposed the gut-wrenching truth about the price paid by the environment, the government, the Third World and animals themselves in order to put meat on tables more quickly and conveniently than ever before. Interweaving a variety of monologues and balancing humour and suspense with informed rationalism, Eating Animals is as much a novelistic account of an intellectual journey as it is a fresh and open look at the ethical debate around meat-eating. An essential session for those who eat meat, but wish to do so more responsibly, as well as those who don’t. Safran Foer talks about the book and the international debate it engendered. Jonathan will speak 19.30-20.30. Prior to this, experts from the University of Bristol will provide details of the latest research on farm animal welfare and the ethics of eating animals. The three speakers are: Professor Mike Mendl on trying to understand animal emotions; Dr Becky Hothersall on approaches to measuring animal welfare; and Dr Becky Whay who will talk about developing methodologies to improve animal welfare.

Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #foianimals