raining_cats2

I think the main draw back is the cost to get it started. Luckily, large investors like Bill Gates and Richard Branson are helping mitigate costs for startups that produce clean meat, but they need to make the cost affordable and ideally cheaper than the meat on the market today. Once it reaches this low cost, it will be commonsense for companies like McDonald's to use clean meat rather than tortured animals in their happy meals. I'm sure it also is complicated getting everything approved for market, but groups like GFI are working specifically on making it a smooth process. Luckily, even major meat producers like Cargill are investing in clean meat, which will be very helpful in lowering cost and making it accessible.

What documentaries would you recommend for people who are interested in learning more about the issue of factory farming or plant-based eating? Has there been a particular book or film that has really inspired you?

That is beautifully put. I have seen stories and met animals who have liberated themselves from slaughter and/or factory farms. These lucky ones are so brave and so full of life. It is 100% true that every animal fights for his or her life. Many have no way of escaping, but every being does everything in their power to escape death. It makes me so sad what animals go through but I am so grateful for people like you and your organization who are really changing the game for billions of animals.

A lot of people actually go vegetarian or vegan not necessarily (at least initially) for compassion for animals. There are many other reasons to go eat a plant-based diet, such as health (prevent and reverse heart disease and other major causes of death), the environment (care about climate change? natural disasters? all of the human suffering the occurs because of climate change?) - animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change. Care about human health and global hunger? We could feed the world if we were not funneling grains through animals to feed to the wealthy. There are plenty of reasons to try out plant-based lifestyle, and I know many people who are vegan who really don't care about individual animals but stick with it because of the noticeable benefits to their health.

Unfortunately, the cruel slaughter of animals is legal so I doubt you will be able to shut it down, unless they are breaking laws. Maybe the best bet is educating people in your community to ditch meat and adopt more of a plant-based lifestyle.