Factory Farms

Perspective

Endangered Elk Starve While the National Park Service Stands By

Nearly 300 endangered tule elk isolated on the Pt. Reyes National Seashore are in a fight for their lives—with no help from the National Park Service, the organization tasked with…

Factory Farms•8 min read

Perspective

Why USDA Should Adopt Stronger Legal Protections for Farmed Animals

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA will begin a new process to address farmed animal welfare standards. It's long overdue.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

Manitoba Becomes Fourth Province in Canada to Pass Ag-Gag Laws

Ag-gag laws got their name from the intended effect of gagging activists from exposing the truth about the animal agriculture industry. They are widely considered to be violations of free…

Factory Farms•4 min read

Perspective

The UK Animal Sentience Bill Is Good, But Animals Deserve Better

The new animal sentience bill could make progress for animals on several fronts. But the bill is vague in key respects, protecting some animals while leaving out others.

Factory Farms•7 min read

Perspective

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?

Factory Farms•4 min read

Feature

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?

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

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.

Factory Farms•12 min read

Perspective

Saving Animals, One Law at a Time

Lobbyists and legislators can only do so much. Public support is what pushes for bills to become laws—and right now, support for animals is soaring.

Factory Farms•7 min read

Reported

Kansas Federal Judge Rules Decades-Old “Ag-Gag” Law Unconstitutional

A federal judge recently overturned a Kansas law that made it illegal to conduct undercover investigations on factory farms. The ruling set a new precedent for Ag-Gag laws in the…

Factory Farms•3 min read

Reported

As Borders Closed, Thousands of Seafarers Were Left Stranded

Thousands of seafarers are stranded in countries around the globe as COVID-19 has restricted travel and forced many smaller airports to close.

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

Why This Undercover Investigator Is Helping Others Expose Animal Abuse

Prior to going undercover on factory farms, Erin Wing had witnessed and experienced all kinds of violence. It was one of the reasons she knew she would be well-suited for…

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

World’s Largest Fleet of Illegal Fishing Boats Operating Invisibly in North Korean Waters

The Chinese vessels—numbering nearly 800 in 2019—appear to be in violation of UN sanctions that forbid foreign fishing off the coast of North Korea.

Factory Farms•7 min read

Perspective

In a Perfect World, There Would Be No Animal Suffering

Utopian visions of a post-COVID-19 future can only come to life if we first consider the needs of all sentient beings, especially those trapped in the food system.

Factory Farms•6 min read

Reported

A Veggie Burger Is Still A Veggie Burger, Says EU Parliament

Veggie burgers can stay, say MEPs, but “vegan cheese” has to go. Parliament also failed to support much-needed environmental reforms, allowing the agricultural industry to carry on destroying the climate.

Factory Farms•2 min read

Perspective

What Trump’s Deregulations Mean for Animals

Many of the deregulations enacted by President Trump prioritize the interests of hunters, property owners, and the fossil fuel industry over the health and well-being of animals and their ecosystems.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Perspective

Why Aren’t We All Boycotting Factory Farms?

Social movements have long used consumer abstentions to help achieve their goals. It’s time to acknowledge and adopt a boycott on animal products as a key tactic in the fight…

Factory Farms•9 min read

Reported

Factory Farm Investigators Face Off With Unlikely Rival

Four activists obtained footage of alleged animal abuse at a hog farm in British Columbia. They reported it to local authorities, but now they're facing off with an unlikely rival:…

Factory Farms•8 min read

Perspective

$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.

Factory Farms•8 min read

Perspective

How Vice President Pence Is Exposing the Sexual Politics of Meat

The Vice President vowed to protect red meat from Democratic challenger Kamala Harris, bringing into question what role misogyny and white supremacy play in the current political climate.

Factory Farms•5 min read

Reported

European Commission Accused of “Gross Cynicism” Toward Farmed Animal Welfare

Advocates are calling for a ban on live animal exports to war-torn Libya, where missile fire threatens animals arriving on cargo ships from Ireland. But welfare officials continue to drag…

Factory Farms•5 min read

Reported

When Gassing Animals to Death Doesn’t Work

If gassing doesn't always work, why is it an approved method of depopulating farmed animals? Award-winning veterinarian Dr. Jonas Watson explains.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

Animal Welfare Campaigners and UK Politicians Clash Over Live Exports

Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to ban live animal exports as soon as Britain officially left the EU. But an upcoming court case is spreading doubt about whether or not he…

Factory Farms•5 min read

Perspective

The Danger of Letting the Animal Agriculture Industry Operate in Secrecy

Former undercover investigator Scott David examines the risks and implications of “ag-gag" laws that punish anyone who releases evidence of animal cruelty inside farms and slaughterhouses.

Factory Farms•6 min read

Reported

Ontario Passes Controversial New Ag-Gag Law, But Animal Rights Activists Aren’t Backing Down

In a new video and exclusive interview, Amy Soranno walks us through her life as an animal rights activist, uncovering the hidden lives of exploited animals in the food system.

Factory Farms•9 min read

Reported

Dutch Parliament Votes to Close Mink Fur Farms Following COVID-19 Outbreaks

The Netherlands is one of 24 countries where mink farming is still legal. In a historic move, the Dutch parliament has voted to permanently close the mink fur farms shut…

Factory Farms•4 min read

Perspective

Understanding Euthanasia: When Life and Words Become Worthless

Animals subjected to "euthanasia" often die by carbon dioxide poisoning, ventilation shutdown, and other mass-killing techniques that prolong suffering for minutes, even hours.

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

COVID-19 Demonstrating Risks of Ontario’s Proposed “Ag-Gag” Law

COVID-19 is making clear that Canada has a food safety problem—but "ag-gag" laws like the proposed Bill 156 make existing problems worse by further limiting much-needed transparency in the food…

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

Closed Borders and Quarantine Measures Pose Direct Threat to Transport Animal Welfare

In a push to keep slaughter lines running during the pandemic, the industry's hunt for profits is putting animal welfare and public health at risk.

Factory Farms•6 min read

Reported

King Cole Duck Rescue: Interview with Activist Jenny McQueen

Sentient Media Fellow Jesse Harris spoke with veteran activist Jenny McQueen about the recent action at King Cole duck farm and what a new Ontario bill targeting animal activists means…

Factory Farms•9 min read

Perspective

New U.K. Legislation Makes Compassion for Animals a Crime

The legislation fails to address the nuanced issues related to grey squirrels and other invasive species. Instead, it adheres to a simple narrative: native good, invasive bad.

Factory Farms•5 min read

Perspective

2020 Vision on Animal Cruelty

When Congress passed the PACT Act in November, President Trump led Americans to believe that all animal cruelty is now illegal. But the new protections are riddled with loopholes.

Factory Farms•8 min read

Reported

This Organization Is Creating a Cage-Free Germany

The Albert Schweitzer Foundation has promoted cage-free supply chains and other animal welfare initiatives for over 20 years. They're just getting started.

Factory Farms•8 min read

Perspective

Stop Treating Animals as “Invaders” for Simply Trying to Exist

Wild animals around the world are being removed from human communities and killed en masse. What are the animals doing to deserve this punishment?

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

Voters For Animal Rights: Creating a More Compassionate New York

Voters For Animal Rights is an animal protection group lobbying for ending animal cruelty, and holding elected officials accountable in the State and City of New York. We spoke with…

Factory Farms•9 min read

Perspective

Ag-Gag Laws Keep Animal Farming in the Dark and Diminish Public Trust

Who or what are ag-gag laws truly serving? Not the animals being exploited and killed behind closed doors, and not the public being kept in the dark, only growing more…

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

Harvard Law Clinic Urges USDA to Improve Lives of 100,000 Research Animals

The case is the first filed by Harvard Law School’s new Animal Law & Policy Clinic, which teaches law students how to advocate for animals.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Explainer

There’s Nothing “Humane” About Killing Pigs in Gas Chambers

CO2 gassing is standard practice among the world’s largest pork producers, but not because it’s more humane, as the industry promises.

Factory Farms•5 min read

Reported

America’s Largest Foie Gras Distributor Sued for Deceptive Marketing

Within 24 hours of a city-wide foie gras ban passing in New York City, animal rights group Voters for Animal Rights filed a suit against the largest foie gras distributor…

Factory Farms•3 min read

Reported

NYC Passes Ban on Foie Gras Putting Animal Welfare First

A historic vote on animal rights legislation in New York City has led to the City Council banning foie gras from force-fed birds within city limits.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

Fighting Against Foie Gras: NYC Moves Toward A City-Wide Ban

Is the “luxury” of foie gras worth the constant suffering of force-fed ducks and geese? A majority of New York City residents think not.

Factory Farms•4 min read

Perspective

Police Dogs: A Necessity or a Disservice?

Dogs and humans alike, all animals play an important role in the world. Is using service dogs justified when their lives are being put in danger?

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

California Just Became the First U.S. State to Ban Fur Products. Who Will Follow?

The effect activists are having on legislative change involving animal rights and welfare is becoming rapid. Two ground-breaking bans were signed into law this past weekend in the State of…

Factory Farms•5 min read

Feature

Julián Castro: Environmentalist, Animal Protector and Presidential Candidate

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro just became the first candidate on the 2020 campaign trail to endorse animal rights. For U.S. politics, this is a surprisingly rare and bold stance.

Factory Farms•8 min read

News

Ready for Rebellion: 12,000 Activists March to End Animal Exploitation

On the morning of August 17, nearly 12,000 animal rights activists arrived at the Achilles Statue for the Official Animal Rights March of London. The march then moved to Trafalgar…

Factory Farms•4 min read

Reported

Animal Rights Activists Labeled “Domestic Terrorists” in Australia

Tensions between Australian farmers and animal rights activists are making international headlines, fueling a series of high-stakes protests that caught the attention of the country's highest office.

Factory Farms•10 min read

Reported

Harvard Law School Launches Animal Law and Policy Clinic

The new program provides hands-on experience on legal advocacy on behalf of non-human animals as part of the school's Animal Law & Policy Program.

Factory Farms•2 min read

Perspective

The Fur Industry Is Getting Desperate and It Shows

Proposed bans in New York City and California are signaling the beginning of the end for the exploitative fur trade. In a last-ditch effort, the industry is paying people to…

Factory Farms•6 min read

Perspective

Ban New York’s Carriage Horses: They Deserve Better

Horse-drawn carriages are no longer necessary in today's day and age. Too many horses suffer significantly pulling carriages down busy urban streets and the practice needs to be banned immediately.

Factory Farms•5 min read

Perspective

German Court: Economic Grounds Not Acceptable for Causing Pain to Vertebrates

While 45 million male chicks can continue to be killed in German egg and poultry industries for now, a new court ruling opens exciting opportunities for expanding and enforcing animal…

Factory Farms•2 min read

Reported

NYC Fur Ban: The Beginning of the End for Fur Industry

With New York City, a world fashion capital, finally joining the crop of cities banning the sale of fur, the exploitative fur industry's days are numbered.

Factory Farms•4 min read