Culture

Explainer

Why ‘Food Apartheid’ Is a Better Term Than ‘Food Desert’

How the language we use to talk about food justice matters.

Culture•6 min read

Perspective

Veganism Is Not Anti-Indigenous

Advocates for humans, animals and our ecosystems are natural allies in the fight against oppressive colonial structures.

Culture•6 min read

Feature

The Italian Far Right’s Beef with Vegans and Immigrants

How food is politicized in a culture known for its cuisine.

Culture•8 min read

Feature

Why Rodeos Are Still Popular When Marine Parks and the Circus Are Declining

Some forms of animal entertainment are going out of style, but rodeos persist.

Culture•9 min read

Explainer

What Is the Difference Between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare?

Animal welfare advocates and animal rights groups are sometimes at odds. In this explainer, we dig into where the two approaches diverge.

Culture•6 min read

Perspective

Sentient Media’s 2023 Summer Book and Podcast Guide

Looking for a few intriguing summer reads and podcasts to deepen your understanding of the food system? We've got you covered.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Indigenous Voices for Saving Animals and Earth

Indigenous Voices for Saving Animals and Earth is a series of essays from Indigenous peoples illuminating perspectives on the past and future.

Culture•1 min read

Perspective

How Opting Out of Meat Can Restore Mauri – Life Essence – in Aotearoa  

Grass-roots activists and larger Māori organizations are working to introduce and restore "te ao Māori" at a national government level.

Culture•4 min read

Perspective

How the Bison Became a Being of Decolonization 

Tens of millions of bison once roamed North America until ranchers decimated their numbers. But today, Indigenous-led projects are restoring the bison and their ecosystems.

Culture•5 min read

Analysis

Why Shark Fin Soup Is Still Served at Weddings

Shark finning is bad for animals and the environment yet the dish is still sometimes on the menu.

Culture•4 min read

Analysis, Perspective

Should Animal Protection Groups Serve Meat?

What we eat — even at galas and special events — has an impact on the planet and animals.

Culture•6 min read

Explainer

Is Bullfighting Cruel to the Bull?

Though bullfighting is often portrayed as a fair fight between man and animal, the bull experiences stress, physical pain and, ultimately, death.

Culture•8 min read

Perspective

What an Animal Investigator Learned From 50 Years of Undercover Work

Mike Huskisson spent 50 years as an undercover investigator documenting acts of animal cruelty that the public had never seen before.

Culture•11 min read

Explainer

Is Hunting a Sport?

Hunting is defined as the act of chasing another animal to kill, typically with a gun. Eight states have banned wildlife killing contests.

Culture•8 min read

Explainer

The Iditarod: How Long Is It and How Many Dogs Die in the Race?

Dogs who participate in the Iditarod sled race experience illness, injury and, in some cases, death.

Culture•9 min read

Perspective

Plant-Based Foods Owe Recent Success to Global South

Plant-based foods owe much of their recent success to the Global South. Young people are embracing this rich culinary history as an instrument of change.

Culture•5 min read

Feature

‘Hope Always Comes From the People’: Gen Z’s New Language of Resistance

Under Gen Z's guidance, the climate movement has grown during the pandemic, with younger, bolder leaders emerging from all over the world.

Culture•5 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.

Culture•6 min read

Perspective

Most Publications Show Clear Bias When Reporting on Animals

Media bias goes far beyond the pages of newspapers and websites. It feeds a culture and legal system that allows animal suffering to go unnoticed.

Culture•4 min read

Reported

North Carolina Lifts Hunting Ban in Bear Sanctuaries

The decision was met with backlash from opponents, who favor interventions that address the human side of the problem.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Inside the Pig Heart Transplant and Ethical Dilemma That Followed

David Bennett died two months after having a pig heart transplanted into his body, leaving doctors more questions than answers about the future of this “groundbreaking” technology.

Culture•5 min read

Feature

Britain’s Most Iconic Animal Is Under Attack

In 2021, 33,687 badgers were killed to protect cattle from the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis. By 2025, 140,000 more badgers could die.

Culture•10 min read

Perspective

The UK Must Cut Ties With Mass Slaughter of Dolphins

On September 21, 2021, thousands of dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands. Former Sea Shepherd crew member Lex Rigby reflects on the tragedy.

Culture•8 min read

Review

New Documentary Transforms Cows From Methane Machines to Sentient Beings

In Cow, a documentary filmed over four years on a British dairy farm, director Andrea Arnold explores what it means for Luma, a farmed animal, to be truly seen.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Animal Testing Isn’t Just Ineffective. It’s Holding Us Back.

The FDA believes that animal testing is necessary for medical research. But according to lawmakers, researchers, and scientists, that kind of thinking is holding us back.

Culture•4 min read

Explainer

Puppy Mills: What Are They and Why Are They Still Legal?

Puppy mills breed dogs that are twice as likely to be fearful of other people. This is one of the many reasons why advocates are calling for their closure.

Culture•8 min read

Feature

Animal Abuse: How to Recognize and Report Animal Cruelty

Animal abuse often happens right before our eyes, but many people don't know if what they're seeing constitutes animal abuse or how to report it when they do.

Culture•10 min read

Perspective

No-Kill Shelters Are Sweeping the Nation. That’s a Good Thing, Right?

No-kill sounds like a worthy goal for animal shelters, but it doesn’t come without controversy. Learn what no-kill means, why some are against it, and what you can do to…

Culture•8 min read

Perspective

Raising Vegans: Parents Counter Big Ag’s Influence in the Classroom

Vegans see the world differently, even from a young age. Jessica Scott-Reid shares some of the challenges of raising her daughter, who just started kindergarten, vegan.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

What’s Wrong With Veganism?

In a world where nearly 7 billion people choose to eat meat and other animal products, the decision to go vegan solves very little. What comes next makes all the…

Culture•6 min read

Reported

Wildlife Killing Contests: The Pastime Putting America’s Coyotes at Risk

Wildlife killing contests are common across the U.S. Competitors kill coyotes and foxes for the thrill, often invoking the interests of the ranching industry to defend their conduct.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

People of the Global Majority Are an Integral Part of the Vegan Movement

Not only is increasing the movement’s diversity a moral imperative, it’s the best way to ensure that the movement maintains relevancy in an increasingly diverse world.

Culture•6 min read

Perspective

Is Speciesism a Social Justice Issue?

Speciesism is more than just an animal rights issue. The Deputy Leader of the UK's Animal Welfare Party, Jane Smith, explains why our understanding of social justice must evolve to…

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Decolonizing Sustainability: Food Sovereignty, Animal Liberation, and Land Justice

Sustainability is a conflicted term. Instead of asking how we can make the food system more sustainable, we should be asking, sustainable for whom?

Culture•7 min read

Perspective

White Veganism Doesn’t Serve Me Either: A White Vegan’s Perspective

From academia to animal advocacy, white supremacy culture permeates liberal spaces. It’s time to turn reflection into action.

Culture•12 min read

Perspective

Turns Out Humans Aren’t So Great After All

The pandemic and ongoing climate crisis have shown us that humans are no better for the survival of the planet than any other species. In many ways, they're worse.

Culture•7 min read

Perspective

Fashion Gets Far Less Focus From Animal Activists —That Needs to Change

Just as we all eat, we all get dressed, every single day. That's why fashion needs to be included more seriously in the scope of animal activism.

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Why Aren’t More Veterinarians Vegan?

If the profession continues to turn a blind eye to the suffering of factory-farmed animals, "the public will wonder if they can trust veterinarians anymore."

Culture•11 min read

Perspective

The Unwritten Rule of Animal Rescue: Don’t Call the Cops

If you see an animal in need, the unwritten rule is: don’t call the cops. Instead, rescuers rely on a community of caregivers and activists to help find these animals…

Culture•5 min read

Perspective

Understanding Animal Rights: The Bold Idea That Started a Movement

The belief that animals should be accorded some form of rights is an ancient one. In its modern form, the list of basic animal rights is becoming more concrete.

Culture•9 min read

Perspective

How the Western Diet Affects Global Food Choices

Foods that are popular in white-dominated, wealthy nations are often considered more desirable by developing countries, but they come with their own costs.

Culture•6 min read

Perspective

How Many Animals Does PETA’s Shelter Euthanize Annually—and Why?

U.S. shelters must euthanize millions of animals every year. Why is this done? PETA explains.

Culture•7 min read

Perspective

Lab-Grown Meat Isn’t Natural—And Neither Is Factory Farming

Many consumers believe conventional meat products are more natural than their lab-grown counterparts. What is "natural," however, is not always best.

Culture•7 min read

Feature

Animal Advocates & Environmentalists Clash Over Animal Testing

Environmental organizations’ desire to protect the planet is admirable, but their misplaced trust in animal testing could be doing more harm than good.

Culture•4 min read

Perspective

What Does “Milk” Mean to Indian Consumers?

The government has reevaluated what counts as milk and what doesn't, stifling competition for India's dairy sector, which is already the largest in the world.

Culture•7 min read

Perspective

The Most Dedicated Activists Don’t Always Shout the Loudest

Dr. Wadchara Pumpradit worked behind the scenes with acclaimed photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur to depict slaughterhouse conditions in Thailand. Today, he's a voice for change.

Culture•13 min read

Perspective

How My Family Came to Love a Plant-Based Thanksgiving

As more and more people stop eating animal products, families are finding new ways to share traditional holiday meals.

Culture•4 min read

Perspective

Why Rescue Some But Serve Others? Animal Rescue Shelters Facing Ethical Dilemma

Surprisingly, many animal sanctuaries and shelters still serve meat at fundraisers and other functions. But in the wake of the pandemic, their menus are becoming more aligned with their missions.

Culture•10 min read

Perspective

World Day for Farmed Animals Sheds Light on Flawed Food System

In the time you've spent reading this article, roughly 231,396 animals have been slaughtered for food.

Culture•3 min read

Perspective

Letter From Our Founder

Sentient Media was founded to help bring animal welfare and animal rights issues into the mainstream.

Culture•4 min read