Food Systems

image of corn harvest, monoculture

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.

What Is the FDA

What Does the FDA Do? 

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

plant-based history of the Dine people

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.

young girl carrying harvest of strawberries in a greenhouse

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.

Insect Farming

Insect Farming: What Types of Bugs Are Farmed?

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

chatbot chatgpt talks to sentient media

We Asked ChatGPT How to Fix Our Food System

What does ChatGPT think about factory farming?

2022 Sentient Media Year in Review

Sentient Media’s 2022 Year in Review

Top posts from 2022 and more.

commercial fishing

Commercial Fishing: What You Need to Know

The global commercial fishing industry is valued at $150 billion per year. Here’s why it’s wrecking the planet.

fish

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.

Meeat

From Meat to Plant-Based, One Factory at a Time

Finland’s Meeat Food Tech is accelerating food system change by converting existing meat facilities into plant-based protein factories.

goat

Here’s What Happens Behind Closed Doors at an Intensive Goat Dairy

A new undercover investigation by Animal Justice Project shows how goats are treated on a large dairy farm.

Red Barn Maryland

Sentient Media Podcast: The Need for A More Humane Food System With Vox Staff Writer Kenny Torrella

In this episode, Vox staff writer Kenny Torrella discusses celebrity fails, when plant-based food tastes bad, and what a perfect future might look like.

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.

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.

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.

What Would Happen if the U.S. Banned Factory Farming?

Meat, dairy, and eggs are woven into the fabric of American life and have been for as long as most will remember. But that, too, can change.

Cory Booker: ‘Climate Movement Doesn’t Talk Enough About Food’

Sen. Cory Booker wants to end the uncontrolled expansion of factory farming in the U.S., and he’s looking to the climate movement for help.

Spanish Politician Sparks Fierce Debate Over Future of Factory Farming

Alberto Garzón recently called out his nation’s factory farming industry for being unsustainable. The criticisms were long overdue.

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.

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 continues to be sold to consumers.

crop plants

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.

caged cows feeding

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.

industrial agriculture

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.

future of food

The Future of Food Has to Be More Sustainable—Here’s Why

Our current food system is fueled by factory farming. That needs to change—and fast—if we are going to feed 10 billion people by 2050.

Bill Gates with UN logo behind

We Should All Be Worried About the United Nations Food Systems Summit

A battle for the future of food is underway. The UN is facing heavy criticism over its corporate ties and lack of inclusivity ahead of the Food Systems Summit later this year.

Why California Cities Should Divest from Factory Farms

Berkeley recently became the first city in California to urge the state’s $444-billion pension fund to divest from the factory farming industry. Will San Francisco and Los Angeles follow suit?

planet mars

The Food System on Mars: Humanity’s Do-Over?

Mars gives us a chance to start over and leave many of Earth’s worst practices behind. While it sounds far-fetched, life on the red planet will almost certainly be free of animal suffering.

Subsidized Slaughter: The Role of the State in Animal Agriculture

You can walk into a McDonald’s anywhere in the U.S. and buy a burger for $1. The plant-based alternative is far more expensive. Have you ever stopped to wonder why?

People gardening with tools

The Food System of Tomorrow: A Call to Action

If we want to build a healthier, greener, kinder, more sustainable future that gets us closer to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we must follow a new path.

meat consumption in the u.s.

Meat Consumption in the U.S. Is Growing at an Alarming Rate

Burgers, bacon, steaks, and other meat products have recently come under scrutiny for their health, sustainability, and social justice issues. But meat consumption in the U.S. is still growing.

yian li

Sentient Media Podcast: Jian Yi, Founder of the Good Food Fund

Sentient Media sat down with Jian Yi, founder of the Good Food Fund, a Chinese food sustainability and health NGO that promotes a plant-based diet.

An orange against a blue background

Our Food Systems Are Complicated. Food Data Doesn’t Have to Be.

Researchers made a “Google Maps” for global food systems. Could it help us tackle food’s thorniest problems?

future of food

Future of Food: How It’s Changing and Why That’s Important

The future of food is unpredictable, but the prognosis isn’t all bad. People are adaptable, and change isn’t always a bad thing.

$100 Million Financing for Plant-Based Protein? Let’s Talk About Billions for Animal Ag

By diverting federal funding for animal agriculture to the growing plant-based protein market, we can build a more ethical and resilient food system.

usda meat inspector

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.

amazon deforestation food supply

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.

slaughterhouse sheep workers

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.

wet market slaughter

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 habits and minds?

chicken soy feed

Does Soy Consumption Harm the Planet? Depends Who’s Eating It

The footprint of soy-based vegan food is negligible compared to that of “ghost soy” in meat, dairy, and eggs.

Good Food Institute: Interview with Bruce Friedrich

Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Good Food Institute, discusses the organization’s mission to transform the world’s food system.

From Brazilian Pastures to Middle Eastern Slaughterhouses

Footage captured by undercover investigators shows the tragic last moments of life faced by countless animals in Middle Eastern slaughterhouses after the long journey from Brazil.

end animal farming

Q&A: Jacy Reese, Author of The End of Animal Farming

We chatted with Jacy Reese about his new book, The End of Animal Farming. Here’s what he had to say about redrawing the lines between humans, animals, and food in everyday culture.

Book Review: The End of Animal Farming by Jacy Reese

There’s a certain excitement that comes from measuring the moral progress of a generation: new directions, hard work, little victories. This book is a battle cry.