Reforming Food Production to Help Humans, Animals, and Earth

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One fact of life is that all people have to eat. While diets radically vary, much of who and what makes its way to humans' mouths comes from industrialized factory farming. Another scientifically proven fact is that there are serious problems with the mass production of nonhuman animals (animals) for consumption by humans, ranging from environmental concerns including ecosystem health and biodiversity and animal cruelty, to exploited farmers and poor working conditions.

In her wide-ranging and important forward-looking book aptly titled Transfarmation: The Movement to Free Us from Factory Farming, Leah Garcés offers reasonable and practical ways to change the ways in which we eat. Her view isn't "radical" but rather a clear explanation of what has to be done to transition to a just food and farming system. I learned a lot from reading it and I am sure others will too. It's time to rethink the mindset of food and agriculture as we move into the future for the well-being of humans, animals, and Earth. Here's what Leah had to say about her forward-looking and most important book.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Transfarmation?

Leah Garcés: I wrote Transfarmation to counter the prevailing narratives surrounding meat, eggs, dairy—and the companies that profit from them. I wanted to share the stories of what’s truly happening behind the curtain. We have to shift the narrative if we’re to dismantle factory farming—one of the most damaging systems in human history. This book isn’t here to add more statistics, though there are plenty of important facts and figures included. Instead, it’s here to deliver powerful, unforgettable stories that reveal the true impact of this system on real individuals, farmers, communities and farmed animals alike.

Source: Beacon Press, used with permission

MB: How does your book relate to your background and general areas of interest?

LG: I've been working in the movement for about 25 years. This book is simply an extension of my activism, another tool to help us end this devastating system.

MB: Who do you hope to reach?

LG: Right now, the majority of people have no idea of the harm factory farming is doing to animals, our planet, and people. With a problem as pervasive and complex as factory farming, we must anchor ourselves to stories if we stand any chance of ending it. We need to build personal empathy and connections in order to build momentum for change. This book is for everyone.

MB: What are some of the major topics you consider?

LG: In Transfarmation, I provide the reader with a private window and relationship directly to individuals impacted by factory farming. The reader travels into the inner life of someone usually so inaccessible, so out of sight and out of mind the farmer, the slaughterhouse worker, the trapped animals.

The book is broken into three parts, from the perspective of those closest to factory farming: the farmers, the animals, and communities. Interwoven with these personal stories of individuals are explanations of government and corporate policies that have failed to protect the vulnerable. Each part culminates in stories of the triumphant courage of those who have managed to overcome the challenges and achieve freedom from factory farming against all odds. This gives us a tentative roadmap for ending factory farming. The final chapter weaves the three parts together into a complete picture of the policies and actions we need to build a better food and farming system for all.

MB: How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?

LG: My focus is on the stories behind the statistics; this fight cannot be just about the facts. It’s about compassion, connections and change. And I also present viable, ready-to-implement solutions and roadmaps. We talk about the issues but we also have to be solution-oriented to pave the way for change.

MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more about the hidden sides of farming they will be open to changing their meal plans?

LG: I’m open to whatever it takes to create a better food and farming system that is compassion led and benefits the majority. That means people choosing to leave meat, eggs and dairy off of their plate. That means changing the way the masses think about the state of our farming and food. That also means giving farmers opportunities to leave an oppressive system and transition to a more lucrative and ethical way of making a living.