100 Billion Animals Farmed

Let’s review: There are over 100 billion farmed animals alive today. That’s more than 10 times the number of humans, and in the U.S., where most humans live with enough space to flap their figurative wings, 99% of farmed animals live on industrial, large-scale factory farms in miserable health conditions. Earlier this summer, we spoke to Jacy Reese about the future of factory farming.

“When we combine the moral progress we’ve seen in the 20th and 21st centuries with new food technologies like clean meat,” said Reese. “It becomes clear that we can and will end animal farming. There’s simply no need for us to be producing food in such an inefficient and unethical way. I think by 2100, our descendants will look back on animal agriculture as one of the worst crimes in history.”

Read more from Jacy Reese on why it’s time to end factory farming here.

1. 🐮 Consumers aren’t buying enough cheese and yogurt to offset America’s massive milk surplus. Yogurt production peaked in 2013, following the popularity of Greek yogurt manufacturers like Chobani. But even when as the Greek yogurt fad began to fade, dairy farmers continued to expand their herds. So, in July 2018, Northeast farmers were forced to dump almost 24 million pounds of milk, bringing the annual total to 145 million pounds of milk dumped through July. [Bloomberg]
2. ✅ Prop 12 would guarantee 43 square feet of floor space per calf by 2020 and 24 square feet for pigs by 2022. While more space doesn’t fix all of factory farmed animals’ problems, it’s a good start. [Mercury News]
3. 👀 The USDA and FDA are meeting today to talk about the future of cell-based meat. Food regulators plan to split responsibility of governing the sector between the two departments, probably because of its prospective growth. [Politico]
4. ✊ The United States government’s inaction on climate change is affecting animals in wilderness areas across the country. Finally, an animal rights advocacy group is taking them to court. [Climate Liability News]
5. 🙃 The creator of the creepy meat classic Spam is investing in the $3.7 billion plant-based food market. Step aside, gelatinous blocks! [LIVEKINDLY]