Steven L. Davis
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Steven L. Davis is an American animal physiologist who specializes in animal ethics. He was a professor of animal science at Oregon State University. Davis has argued that more animals are killed from crop production in a vegan diet than in the production of an omnivorous diet containing grass-fed beef.
Davis was raised on a family farm in Idaho. His family raised chickens, dairy cows, horses and pigs.[1]
In 1982, Davis was appointed Head of the Department of Animal Science at Oregon State University. His research career was in the study of the endocrinology of growth.[2] He taught the course "Contentious Issues in Animal Agriculture" and developed the course "Ethical Issues in Animal Agriculture" in the 1990s which is required for completion of an animal science degree at the university.[3] The course introduced different arguments in animal ethics.[3]
Davis attended the annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science in 2009 where he argued that animals have minds that think but differ to humans in their level of intelligence.[1] In 2009, Davis commented that "my research used to center on animal endocrinology - how farm animals can grow better. Now I'm switching to more contentious contemporary issues like animal rights and animal welfare. Animal scientists can no longer avoid the issues, the debate. We've got to be part of the solution".[1]
Davis authored an article with Peter Cheeke arguing that cattle ranchers and environmentalists should consider pursuing common goals such as opposing the industrialization of animal agriculture.[4] He taught the course Ethical Issues in Animal Agriculture until his retirement in 2000.[3]