farmed animalskind eating

animal consumption & factory farming

92.2 billion land animals are bred and slaughtered for human consumption each year

(The Humane Society, 2023)

Click on the buttons below to learn from Farm Sanctuary about each animal’s sentience, history, and common practices used within the animal agriculture industry.

Scroll down to read how we hope to change our relationship with animals, the benefits of making a lifestyle change, and see how you can choose compassion when you eat and shop. Don’t miss the Executive Director’s product recommendations!


why consider eating more plants & less animals?

  • If you visit our carefarm, you’ll experience firsthand the personalities of farmed animals. These individuals desire to live and be loved just as much as we do.

    If you’re not ready to completely change your lifestyle, this Harvard article has a few suggestions for getting started with a few micro changes: Read more here.

  • Reduce the negative effects on the planet - from water consumption and land usage, overfishing and the depletion of the ocean’s biodiversity, to CO2 emissions from cows. Try this tool*!
    *credit to Unity Farm Sanctuary in Sherborn, MA for sharing this with us!

    • Did you know that creating cattle pastures is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazons, which is also harming indigenous people currently living there? (Safran Foer, 2013, pp. 93-94).

    • Did you know that animal agriculture produces more CO2 emissions than “cars, planes, buildings, power plants, and industry combined"? (Safran Foer, 2013, p. 95).

  • You can interrupt the systems of exploitation for factory farm workers. Employees are often immigrants and People of the Global Majority (PGM)/ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and lower income households, including children. Two major companies settled a lawsuit in January 2025 for illegally using children to do dangerous slaughterhouse work. These workers work long and physically demanding hours with minimal breaks performing hazardous tasks (Scully, 2003).

  • Vegan food can be tasty and flavorful, we promise. Many restaurants don’t invest in making vegan dishes delicious, if they even have one available, so these dishes can get a bad reputation.

    Create nutritious and delicious food at home or eat out using the recommendations in the section below. This is a lovely opportunity to explore a new ethnic cuisine with vibrant flavors. You might be pleasantly surprised!

  • Your primary care doctor will praise you at your next visit. There are numerous health benefits to eating plant-based! Certainly, eating only plants won’t get rid of all health ailments; however, it can significantly help. Varying your foods to ensure you obtain the appropriate vitamins and nutrients is important, so please consult with a healthcare provider.

    Read here from the National Institute of Health about the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle including lower rates of heart disease, type I diabetes, hypertension (blood pressure), lower cholesterol, help with glycemic control in type II diabetes, and more.

close-up of ripened red raspberries on a green plant with unripened raspberries in the background

&
individual change 

the role of systemic

Many people believe that larger companies should be held accountable for their actions that negatively impact us, other living beings, and our planet. We agree with this stance – and we do not believe the responsibility ends there. We, too, are accountable. We, too, can participate in creating change. How? With our choices - from voting in local and national elections to how we spend our money. Corporations will go where there is money to be made.

That said, we must also mention the systemic inequities that lead to one’s inability to possibly make certain choices. Food deserts, lack of access to nutritious food that is culturally appropriate and affordable, economic disparities, housing instability, racism, and other forms of discrimination create barriers for countless folks.

Steeped in compassion and liberation for all beings, we work toward fullness of life for animals and humans. Both must occur simultaneously; we cannot look away or disconnect from the violence that spreads from systems of oppression to slaughterhouses, communities, people groups, schools, and other environments. It is our belief we must resist this violence with compassion, empathy, and love.

We invite you to consider how you can be a part of cultivating these spaces within your relationships and your choices, starting however small.

“A compassionate world begins with you.”
-Farm Sanctuary

colorful veggie rolls on a blue-rimmed plate garnished with herbs. In the middle is a peanut sauce topped with black and white sesame seeds and more herbs.