Jennifer Mishler

Explainer

Animals Reveal Their Intelligence in Surprising Ways

There are many types of intelligence in the animal kingdom, but human bias might mean we underestimate just how smart many animals are.

Science•6 min read

Explainer

The Promises and Pitfalls of Regenerative Agriculture, Explained

Despite the massive amount of public and private funding flowing into regenerative agriculture, research shows it doesn't live up to the climate hype. 

Food•14 min read

Explainer

Whale Hunting Still Exists in 3 Countries, but It Is Declining

Despite decreasing demand for whale meat and dwindling populations, the hunt for whales continues.

Climate•10 min read

Reported

Iceland Decides Not to Ban Whaling After All, Despite “Horrific” Methods

Iceland's government has declined to ban whaling, putting it at odds with advocates and public opinion.

Climate•5 min read

Explainer

What Farm Sanctuaries Do, and How to Support Them

Farm sanctuaries provide a second chance for animals used for food. Here’s what you need to know about these safe havens, and how to help them.

Policy•8 min read

Reported

Dairy Farms Are Still Draining the Colorado River Dry, Says New Report

More than 40 million people depend on this vital U.S. waterway.

Climate•4 min read

Explainer

How Bees Help the Environment and Humans

Why it’s crucial we protect these extremely helpful insects — and what’s at stake if we fail to do so.

Climate•6 min read

Explainer

When Does Prop 12 Go Into Effect — and Will It Be Properly Enforced?

California’s Prop 12 faced industry opposition because it has huge implications for animal welfare. Now that it’s been upheld by the Supreme Court, here’s what’s next.

Law & Justice•11 min read

Reported

Smithfield Foods Is Owned by China, but Pollution and Price-Fixing Is the Real Problem

Rumors and conspiracy theories about Chinese ownership of a major U.S. pork producer abound, but concerns might be misplaced.

Food•4 min read

Reported

African Swine Fever Would Spread Rapidly Through U.S. Pork Industry, Study Finds

An outbreak is killing pigs around the world, and would likely spread quickly in the United States.

Food•7 min read

Explainer

15 Plant-Based Meat Companies You Should Know

The plant-based food industry has exploded in recent years, with plant-based meats igniting the conversation about the future of food.

Food•10 min read

Reported

Seafood Is Extremely Vulnerable to Climate Change, Study Finds

Over 90 percent of food harvested from marine and freshwater environments is at risk, challenging the idea that “blue food” is more sustainable.

Climate•5 min read

Explainer

What Sheep Farming Really Means For Animals and the Environment

Like many other forms of agriculture, sheep farming has become increasingly industrialized. Here’s what you need to know.

Food•10 min read

Reported

Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary Is Strategizing to Save Animals

Michele Waldman realized she couldn’t save all the farm animals. But each cow, pig and hen at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary serves as an ambassador on behalf of the billions.

Policy•7 min read

Explainer

Why Do Some Critics Still Call It Lab-Grown Meat?

More than 150 companies are growing meat from fish or animal cells. Yet some critics still deride cultivated proteins as "lab-grown meat." Why?

Science•12 min read

Reported

The Pork Industry Is Targeting People of Color – While Still Polluting Their Water 

Amid the World Pork Expo, the industry reframes "sustainability" and targets the very communities it pollutes.

Food•5 min read

Reported

Avian Flu Is Mutating. How Worried Should We Be?

A new study published in Nature finds genetic changes are making recent outbreaks of avian flu more severe in mammals.

Research•5 min read

Explainer

What Does the FDA Do? 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ensures the country's food, medical and cosmetic products are safe.

Food•9 min read

Explainer

Which Foods Are Dairy?

The global dairy industry produces nearly 550 million metric tons of cow’s milk each year. But which products are dairy and how are they made?

Diet•11 min read

Reported

Cultivated Meat Startups Need More Scientists and Funding

Alt proteins are making th pitch for more federal funding as a new report finds startups need more “technical talent” to scale.

Food•6 min read

Reported

Big Chicken Is Going After Climavores

Is eating chicken more sustainable than beef? The industry is misleading consumers with its "climate-friendly" marketing.

Food•6 min read

Explainer

Is It Legal to Kill Baby Chickens?

The egg industry continues to cull billions of male chicks worldwide each year — despite legal and scientific progress to curb the practice.

Food•8 min read

Explainer

Explainer: Is Octopus Farming Ethical?

A major seafood company is still moving ahead with its Canary Islands octopus farming operation despite ethical objections from researchers.

Aquaculture•10 min read

Reported

What Do We Have to Fear From Swine Flu?

Most human cases of swine flu are found at agricultural fairs but there are other disease hotspots to consider, like factory farms.

Health•5 min read

Explainer

Yes, Fur Farming Is Still Legal

61 percent of U.S. voters support a ban on fur farming — yet the $22 billion industry is still legal in the U.S. and much of the rest of the…

Food•12 min read

Reported

High Seas Treaty: 5 Pressing Issues Facing the World’s Oceans

Almost 200 nations have pledged to protect the high seas — but what does that mean for world oceans and the so-called blue food economy?

Climate•6 min read

Explainer

How Many Cows Are Killed Each Year?

Almost 300 million cattle were slaughtered globally in 2020, despite research suggesting cows are capable of feeling pain and distress.

Food•8 min read

Reported

21 Brands Fail to Keep Cage-Free Promises

Wendy's and other national brands are failing to make good on their cage-free egg commitments.

Food•8 min read

Explainer

How Much Time Do Cattle Spend on Feedlots?

U.S. cattle feedlots house over 13 million cattle annually, maximizing growth before slaughter.

Food•9 min read

Reported

New Study Shows Staggering Increase in Heatstroke-Induced Chicken Culls

Between February and August of last year, more than half of commercial chicken depopulations used ventilation shutdown.

Food•5 min read

Reported

How Much Has the COP15 Biodiversity Conference Achieved for Wildlife?

At COP15, world governments are at a crossroads.

Climate•6 min read

Reported

New Study Highlights Harms of Captive Lion Cub Tourism

Researchers found tourists — despite their best intentions — may make life worse for the lion cubs they visit.

Entertainment•10 min read

Investigation

As Supreme Court Hears Prop 12 Arguments, a New Investigation Looks Into Gestation Crates

As the Supreme Court hears arguments in pork industry challenge to Proposition 12, a new investigation reveals cruelty of intensive animal confinement.

Food•4 min read

Reported

Can Vietnam’s ‘Last Bear Sanctuary’ Help End the Bile Trade?

Animal advocates are working with farmers and communities to get the last of the bile bears released to sanctuaries.

Policy•8 min read

Explainer

Does Animal Agriculture Cause Climate Change and Pandemics?

The global animal agriculture industry rakes in billions of dollars while putting the environment and human health at risk.

Food•18 min read

Reported

Making Plant-Based More Accessible Through Universal School Meals

One way to make plant-based foods more accessible is to increase the "universal meals" served at schools, prisons and hospitals.

Health•7 min read

Reported

‘Our Oceans Are Not Getting Any Healthier’: Conservationists React to Failed High Seas Treaty Talks

A UN treaty to protect international waters has been delayed for the fifth time.

Climate•3 min read

Explainer

What Is Cashmere Made of and Why Shouldn’t You Buy It?

Intensive farming may have made cashmere more affordable, but overgrazing has also led to widespread environmental damage and animal suffering.

Climate•8 min read

Reported

How the U.S. Poultry Industry Is Crushing Contract Chicken Farmers

Through a series of exclusive interviews, our reporters offer key insights into the role chicken farmers are playing in the fight for a more equitable food system.

Food•8 min read

Reported

The Oceans Are Under Attack. What Can We Do to Protect Them?

Even the most protected parts of the ocean “allow for some degree of extractive use, and some are even completely open to commercial fisheries.”

Climate•7 min read

Reported

New Coalition Aims to Outlaw ‘Barbaric’ Wildlife Killing Contests

Hunters believe the killing contests help maintain balance in local ecosystems, but advocates say they are often used to protect farming interests.

Policy•6 min read

Reported

Meet Scott Weathers: Plant-Based Politician and Public Health Advocate

Weathers is running for State Representative in the city of Stowe, Vermont, where he says "the status quo isn't working" anymore.

Law & Justice•6 min read

Reported

Groupon Boosts Attendance at ‘Notorious’ Zoos and Aquariums

A new report claims that Groupon “routinely partners with some of the cruelest captive wildlife venues in the U.S.” Sentient Media investigates three of the highest-profile facilities.

Entertainment•8 min read

Analysis

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.

Food•3 min read

Analysis

Climate Change Could Give Rise to Next Global Pandemic

A new study finds that as climate change pushes wildlife into closer contact with humans, zoonotic diseases will be able to spread more easily.

Climate•3 min read

Analysis

Climate Crisis Not Always the Top Concern for People Choosing Plant-Based Meat

A new study concludes that animal welfare and health considerations both influenced consumer decisions. Surprisingly, the environment did not.

Climate•3 min read

Analysis

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.

Climate•6 min read

Reported

First Human Case of H3N8 Bird Flu Confirmed in China

Doctors confirmed that a four-year-old child in the country’s Henan province has been infected with the illness. Millions of birds are already suffering.

Health•3 min read

Analysis

Cultivated Meat Gains Ground in Hyper-Competitive Industry

Cultivated meat is attracting a lot of new attention. But experts question whether the new technology will truly make our food systems more sustainable.

Science•3 min read

Analysis

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.

Food•3 min read