Farms

Explainer

Organic Farming: What It Is — and Isn’t — Explained

‘Organic’ is better for animals — but not necessarily more environmentally friendly or healthy.

Farms•7 min read

Investigation

Homesteading Is a Viral Trend, but ‘Butchery Gone Awry’ Is Its Dark Side

A growing number of backyard farmers confess they have no idea what they’re doing.

Farms•6 min read

Perspective

Does Veganism Kill More Animals? The Argument, Decoded

One popular defense of a meat-heavy diet is the “crop death” argument, but does the evidence actually stack up?

Farms•6 min read

Reported

Hot? Hungry? Step Inside These Food Forests.

In cities like Tucson, Arizona, neighbors are planting trees to provide shade — and food.

Farms•7 min read

Sentient’s Most-Read Stories of 2023

Our most-read stories and biggest shout-outs from the year

Farms•1 min read

Reported

The Future of Lab-Grown Meat? In the Netherlands, It’s Locally Grown.

A new Dutch public-private partnership brings together cultivated meat companies with farmers.

Farms•8 min read

Explainer

What Monoculture Farming Is, and Why It Matters

Monoculture impacts our food system and environment — but most people have only a vague idea what it entails.

Farms•10 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.

Farms•9 min read

Perspective

The Fascinating Plant-based History of the Diné People

Often called Navajo, the Diné people were best known for herding sheep. Yet this Indigenous tribe originally ate a plant-rich diet of crops like beans, corn and squash.

Farms•7 min read

Explainer

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."

Farms•10 min read

Explainer

What Is Agroecology?

Agroecology relies on traditional Indigenous farming knowledge to make farming more sustainable.

Farms•6 min read

Explainer

What Is Grazing?

In animal agriculture, grazing is the practice of allowing animals to roam across land. Grazing allows animals to behave naturally but it also comes with many environmental downsides.

Farms•8 min read

Explainer

What Is a Food System?

Food systems refer to different ways societies organize the production and distribution of food. While some types put a strain on the planet, others have a smaller impact.

Farms•8 min read

Explainer

Insect Farming: What Types of Bugs Are Farmed?

Each year, over a trillion insects are farmed for human consumption.

Farms•10 min read

Perspective

We Asked ChatGPT How to Fix Our Food System

What does ChatGPT think about factory farming?

Farms•21 min read

Analysis

Sentient Media’s 2022 Year in Review

Top posts from 2022 and more.

Farms•7 min read

Reported

Please Don’t Gift a Cow for the Holidays, Advocates Say

A growing chorus of animal advocates and researchers argue farm animal gifts cause more harm than good.

Farms•4 min read

Reported

How Senegalese Fish End Up in Factory Farms

Exploiting wild fisheries for animal feed disturbs marine ecosystems, drives food insecurity and supplies an industry responsible for massive environmental pollution.

Farms•7 min read

Reported

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.

Farms•6 min read

Reported

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.

Farms•5 min read

Reported

‘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.

Farms•5 min read

Reported

Dairy in the Americas: How Colonialism Left Its Mark on the Continent

The first cows arrived on the continent with Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. For many, milk is as much a drink as it is a symbol of their…

Farms•9 min read

Perspective

Why It’s So Hard to Prevent Disease Outbreaks on Factory Farms

It's almost impossible to keep a factory farm free of disease. Culling doesn't always work. Antibiotics have their own host of problems, and vaccines do too.

Farms•4 min read

Explainer

Animal Rights Activists: Who They Are and What They Do

An animal rights activist is a person who seeks to reduce non-human animal suffering. Want to learn more about animal rights activism? We've got you covered.

Farms•9 min read

Conversations

Towards a Plant-Based Future: An Interview With Mark Pearson and Emma Hurst

Emma Hurst and Mark Pearson, members of Australia's Animal Justice Party, sat down with Sentient Media to discuss their vision for a plant-based future.

Farms•11 min read

Investigation

America’s Food Safety System Failed to Stop a Salmonella Epidemic. It’s Still Making People Sick.

For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat…

Farms•41 min read

Explainer

The Future of Food: Can We Build a Sustainable Food System?

To feed the world, food production simply has to change, and the growing climate crisis is making this change far more urgent.

Farms•1 min read

Review

New Documentary Hopes to Bring Vegans and Meat-Eaters Together

Meat and dairy have become central tenets of today’s climate culture wars. A promising new documentary, Meat Me Halfway, looks to diffuse the situation.

Farms•4 min read

Perspective

More Slaughterhouses Is Not the Solution

Small, family-run abattoirs have been described as ‘cornerstones' of sustainable meat production but a new investigation from the UK nonprofit Animal Justice Project paints a different picture.

Farms•7 min read

Explainer

Meat, Money, and Politics: Inside Big Ag’s Struggle to Feed the World

The meat industry is controlled by a few deeply connected corporations that wreak havoc on the planet and exploit workers and marginalized communities without consequence.

Farms•2 min read

Explainer

Is Industrial Agriculture Really Making the World a Better Place?

Given the many negative impacts that industrial agriculture has on the environment, health, and animal welfare, its place in society is coming into question.

Farms•10 min read

Feature

The Past, Present and Future of Animal Welfare in China

China’s animal welfare record is at the global center stage once again due to COVID-19. Sonakshi Srivastava sat down with Dr. Peter Li to unpack the country's most pressing welfare…

Farms•12 min read

Reported

Why Some Farmers Are Embracing Regenerative Grazing—and Others Aren’t

Regenerative grazing's central claim—that a properly managed herd will restore soil health and save the planet—has garnered a lot of attention lately. But some are still deeply skeptical.

Farms•9 min read

Perspective

More Chickens Finding Backyard Homes During Pandemic

Since the pandemic began, sales of chickens to homeowners have been dramatically increasing. But is raising backyard chickens really any more ethical than supporting factory farming?

Farms•7 min read

Feature

Vigils and Rescues Ramp Up in the Wake of Activist’s Death

Celebrities are joining thousands of others to commemorate the life of animal rights activist Regan Russell, who was fatally struck by a transport truck at a slaughterhouse vigil in Canada…

Farms•4 min read

Review

Black Food Justice Reading List: 25 Articles, Books, and People to Follow

Centering the conversation around the activists, artists, and plant-based pioneers fighting for equality in the food system—and in their everyday lives—is the first step toward justice.

Farms•9 min read

Conversations

Advocating for Food Justice During a Pandemic: Lauren Ornelas Speaks Out

Lauren Ornelas is the founder of the Food Empowerment Project, a vegan food justice organization that shows people how various issues of oppression are connected to the food system.

Farms•5 min read

Reported

COVID-19 Exposes Flaws in Animal Protein Production

The food system is on the verge of collapse. To avoid future disruptions, we cannot continue using animals to mass-produce meat, dairy, and eggs.

Farms•4 min read

Perspective

Corruption and Exploitation: Brazil’s Position in the Global Food System

Brazil plays a major role in the global food supply. But with rampant corruption and disregard for human rights, animal, and environmental issues, Bolsonaro's Brazil has become a global threat.

Farms•10 min read

Reported

Meat-Free Future? Coronavirus Exposes America’s Fragile Food System

Supply chain problems and workplace infection risks mean experts are urging U.S. producers to focus on sustainability.

Farms•6 min read

Feature

From Livestock to Plants: Why Some Farmers Are Making the Switch to More Sustainable Agriculture

Switching from meat production to growing crops for vegan foods can be good for farmers and the environment.

Farms•5 min read

Perspective

How to Prevent Future Pandemics: Fix the Broken Food System

There is a common link between many past pandemics and the one we are facing today: the human consumption of animals. Can we change the current food system without changing…

Farms•6 min read