Agriculture

what is sustainable agriculture

What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture prioritizes natural resources and healthy soils but because the label is not well-regulated, any farm can call itself “sustainable.”

Latest Updates

poultry

Poultry Industry’s Response to Avian Flu Raises Red Flags

Safely disposing of the dead birds and implementing effective safety measures to prevent the next outbreak prove to be a significant challenge.

cull dead hens

Latest Updates From the 2022 Avian Flu Outbreak

The first human case of avian flu was confirmed in China last week. But over the past three months, millions of birds have died.

pesticide

Factory Farming’s Toxic Relationship With the Pesticide Industry

A new report reveals that an estimated 235 million pounds of pesticides were used to grow feed crops for factory-farmed animals in the U.S. in 2018.

chicken

How Long Do Chickens Live on Factory Farms?

The vast majority of chickens spend their entire lives in the confinement of a factory farm. Farmed animals live for about six weeks before they are slaughtered.

meat plant

JBS Takes Steps to Prevent Another Catastrophic Outbreak

A team of third-party experts will help seven JBS plants reduce employee coronavirus exposure and prepare for future outbreaks.

hens

What This Guardian Article Got Wrong About Avian Flu

Sentient Media’s Associate Editor Claire Hamlett critiques the Guardian’s coverage of avian flu in an excerpt from our brand new, special-edition newsletter, The Correction.

tesco

Supermarkets Step in to Rescue Britain’s Pig Farms

British supermarkets are pouring millions of pounds into the UK’s beleaguered pig farming sector. Experts fear it may only make the problem worse.

dairy cow

Do Cows Have to Be Pregnant to Produce Milk?

To produce milk, dairy cattle need to be impregnated. The typical dairy cow is bred every single year, giving her body no break from producing milk or carrying a baby.

bird flu

Bird Flu Spreads at Astonishing Rate, Forcing More Culls

The H5N1 virus continues to spread through poultry farms across the U.S. and around the world, forcing farmers to cull record numbers of birds.

chicken farm

Claims of Meat Shortages During the Pandemic Were ‘Baseless’, Report Finds

A scathing new report alleges that the country’s largest meat producers made “baseless” claims of meat shortages to keep their facilities running in the early stages of the pandemic.

farm smithfield

Report Ties Smithfield Pig Farms to Decades of ‘Chronic’ Pollution

“This is what happens when you try to put too many animals in the same place,” says the report’s author, who lives next door to one of the pig farms.

bug food

Meat Producers Have a New Animal to Farm

The edible insect market is projected to hit $1.2 billion by 2023. But advocates are questioning the motives behind this surprising new trend.

cow stall

Is Smart Farming Making Life Worse for Farmed Animals?

New technology is making farmers’ lives easier, but the increased efficiency they bring often comes at the cost of farmed animals.

meat industry

Meat Industry Relies on ‘Powerful Voice’ to Cover Up Climate Impact

A first-of-a-kind study looked into the UK meat industry. It found that the industry relies on misinformation to cover up its harmful impacts.

cow feed

Antibiotic Residue Found in Antibiotic-Free Meat at Whole Foods

A new study reveals that meat certified to be antibiotic-free was, in fact, raised with antibiotics. Another study found that organic farms were also not antibiotic-free.

burger table

How ‘Farm-to-Table’ Was Co-Opted by Big Meat and Dairy

The farm-to-table movement promised better, more sustainable food. But the idea has been co-opted by meat and dairy producers, who exploit it for their own financial gain.

farm

New Food Strategy Could Be ‘Massive Win’ for UK Farmers and Animals

A new national strategy hopes to modernize the UK’s food system by encouraging animal farmers to transition to more sustainable farming methods.

ducklings farm

Campaigners and Duck Farmers at Odds Over Future of Industry

“We are calling upon the [UK] government to ban this cruel industry,” said one campaigner. “There is no place in Britain or anywhere else for it.”

pig farm

In Vietnam, the Call for Factory Farm Divestment Grows Louder

The International Finance Corporation recently invested $26 million into Vietnam’s pig farming industry, spurring new calls for divestment.

farmer tractor field

How Big Ag Hurts Small Farmers: A Closer Look

With more than a quarter-million factory farms to its name, America has officially ushered in the rise of industrial agriculture. Small farmers are paying the price.

ukraine food war

‘Food Over Feed’: War in Ukraine Highlights Need for Dietary Change

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has caused the price of animal feed to skyrocket, intensifying food insecurity in much of the global south.

pig transport truck

Investigators Followed a Livestock Truck for 32 Hours. Here’s What They Found.

A new investigation from Animal Outlook documents what happens when animals are held in transport trucks for hours on end with no rest.

milk grocery store

What You Should Know About the World’s Top Dairy Companies

In the U.S., dairy farms generate $628 billion annually. And while they add to the GDP of many countries, they also cause harm that cannot be undone.

farm subsidies

Why Is U.S. Farming So Heavily Subsidized?

Farm subsidies are often cited as one of the major problems in our food system. But what are they? Learn more about which subsidies farmers receive and why.

salmon farm

New Study Shows How ‘Inefficient and Inequitable’ Food Systems Can Be

A new study reveals that millions of tons of fish caught in the global south are being fed to farmed salmon sold for human consumption in wealthier countries.

dairy cow barn

What Happens to Dairy Cows When They Get Old?

In the dairy industry, a cow’s life is segmented into predictable, routine steps to help farms make the most profit. We took a closer look at what happens next.

Experts Say Dairy Farming Is ‘Hardly Natural’. The Industry Doesn’t Agree.

The dairy industry will say almost anything, and we mean anything, to protect its image. Experts say this time it has gone too far.

chicks on a farm

The Key Differences Between Cage-Free and Free-Range Eggs

The terms cage-free and free-range may seem very similar but in reality, there are some key differences between the two. Here’s what you need to know.

The State of Mink Farming: What Changed During the Pandemic

Advocates have worked for decades to educate the public about the danger of mink farms. During the pandemic, their work became hyper-relevant.

man speaking at the American Farm Bureau Federation

The American Farm Bureau Federation Claims It’s the ‘Voice of Agriculture.’ These Groups Beg to Differ.

With millions of members, the American Farm Bureau Federation says it represents “divergent opinions.” But the farmers outside its circle believe it leans “heavily towards corporate interests.”