Animals endure immense suffering on factory farms, and many individuals and organizations are working to improve their living conditions. But are these efforts enough?

Toni Vernelli, former head of communications for the Veganuary program, believes they are. She argues that eliminating animal products from one’s diet is a waste of time and has said that “diet change shouldn’t even be a part of the conversation.” Vernelli now works for FarmKind, an organization that encourages people to set aside personal dietary change and instead donate to nonprofits focused on improving conditions for farmed animals.

I found the FarmKind website confusing. The organization claims its mission is to “end factory farming,” but it’s unclear what that actually means. Does ending the use of gestation crates for pigs or battery cages for laying hens—important reforms, to be sure—amount to ending factory farming? Or is it simply making factory farming somewhat less cruel?

More importantly, can factory farming really end while we continue to produce the hundreds of millions of animals slaughtered every day to meet current demand for meat, dairy, and eggs? ... Read More >