Industry

Reported

EU Braces for New Avian Flu Outbreaks

A new EU government report warns of an impending uptick in avian flu outbreaks, especially in areas with a high concentration of factory farms.

Food•4 min read

Explainer

Whether It’s Grass-Fed or Grass-Finished, Beef Is Still a Problem

Consumers want to know the difference between grass-fed vs. grass-finished but research shows all beef is bad for the planet.

Food•7 min read

How New FDA Labels Tout Dairy Over Public Health

The proposed FDA label guidance implicitly favors single "superfoods" and dairy as the nutritional gold standard over a varied plant-rich diet.

Food•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

Explainer

What Are the Impacts of Dairy Goat Production?

Goat milk has become increasingly popular, yet most consumers are unaware of the environmental and animal welfare impacts of dairy goat production.

Food•5 min read

Explainer

Why Do We Call Them Broiler Chickens?

The poultry industry uses the term "broiler chickens" to describe birds farmed for meat. But where exactly does the term come from?

Food•9 min read

Explainer

What Does “Free-Range” Mean for the Animals?

You might think "free-range" meat comes from happy animals but in reality, the label is no guarantee the farm meets any animal welfare standards.

Food•7 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

Explainer

6 of the Worst Facts About Factory Farms 

More than 21,000 factory farms raise and slaughter billions of livestock animals each year in the U.S.

Food•4 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

Explainer

How Many Chickens Are Killed Each Year?

Over 8 billion chickens are killed each year by the food industry.

Food•7 min read

Explainer

Why Is Dairy Farming Bad?

Dairy farming is the practice of raising animals such as cows, goats and buffalo to produce milk for human consumption.

Food•8 min read

Explainer

Where Does Veal Come From?

In this explainer, we answer the question what is veal?

Food•11 min read

Reported

Ireland Braces for Factory Farm Expansion

36 new factory farms are slated to open in Ireland, pending approval from the Irish EPA.

Food•7 min read

Analysis

Why You Shouldn’t Buy “Low Methane Beef”

Meat companies are greenwashing beef with a "low methane" rebrand.

Food•5 min read

Reported

In Some Countries, Enriched Cages Stand in the Way

Consumers say they prefer "cage-free" eggs, yet some producers are slow to adapt.

Food•4 min read

Analysis

Factory Farms Are Destroying This Natural Resource

Bolivia's growing factory farm industry is putting the Chiquitano Forest at risk.

Food•5 min read

Explainer

What Is Factory Farming and Why Is it Bad?

The vast majority of farmed animals are raised on crowded factory farms that cause climate emissions and environmental pollution.

Food•11 min read

Explainer

How Are Turkeys Farmed?

The amount of turkey meat consumed has increased 104 percent since 1970 — virtually all sourced from animals raised on factory farms.

Food•8 min read

Explainer

How Egg Production Became a $200-Billion Industry

Egg production is far from the idyllic image of a mother hen sitting atop her nest. Big Ag has corrupted the process, creating cheap eggs at the expense of billions…

Food•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

Perspective

How the Media Greenwashes Industrial Pig Farming in Malaysia

Media coverage often misses the root cause of factory farm pollution.

Food•9 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

Animal Rebellion to Block U.K. Dairy Supply Until Demands Are Met

Animal Rebellion is pledging to block dairy deliveries until the government agrees to support rewilding and plant-based food system transition.

Food•7 min read

Reported

New Singapore Partnership Aims to Boost Cultivated Meat, But With Chicken

A poultry processing company in Singapore offers up its waste to cultivated meat companies. But should they use it?

Food•5 min read

Explainer

Meatpacking: A Closer Look Inside a Secretive and Dangerous Industry

On factory farms, animals are subjected to stress, confinement and physical harm. But the meatpacking industry is also harmful to humans caught within it.

Food•3 min read

Perspective

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.

Food•5 min read

Analysis

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.

Food•8 min read

Reported

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.

Food•6 min read

Explainer

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.

Food•7 min read

Reported

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.

Food•4 min read

Perspective

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.

Correction•2 min read

Explainer

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.

Food•8 min read

Reported

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.

Food•5 min read

Perspective

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.

Food•8 min read

Perspective

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.

Food•5 min read

Reported

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.”

Food•5 min read

Reported

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.

Food•7 min read

Explainer

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.

Food•8 min read

Explainer

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.

Food•8 min read

Reported

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.

Food•5 min read

Explainer

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.

Food•9 min read

Reported

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."

Food•13 min read

Explainer

What Happens Behind Closed Doors in the Egg Industry

The egg industry is a dark, complicated place. We took a closer look at the mistreatment of birds on egg farms and what you can do to help.

Food•7 min read

Explainer

Egg Farming: What the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Egg farming is the practice of raising birds—such as chickens, ducks, and geese—to produce eggs for human use. Take a look inside this secretive industry.

Food•9 min read

Reported

In Zimbabwe, Poultry Farmers Face a New Foe: Antibiotic Resistance

The rapid increase of antibiotic resistance is threatening the future of poultry farming in Zimbabwe. Experts say education is the root of the problem.

Food•4 min read

Reported

Rise of Antibiotic Resistance Threatens Farmers’ Way of Life

Farmers say they’re not to blame for the abuse of medically important drugs in animal agriculture. The problem, as they see it, is much more complicated.

Food•6 min read

Explainer

Is This the Beginning of the End for Foie Gras?

Foie gras directly translates to “fat liver,” which is exactly what it is. Learn more about the birds who suffer so that people can eat this so-called delicacy.

Food•7 min read