The Issues

Current Campaigns

Across the U.S. animals raised and killed for food are subjected to intolerable cruelty. They are routinely packed inside factory farm warehouses, barely able to move or engage in basic natural behaviors. Approximately 10 billion farm animals are slaughtered in the U.S. every year-millions more die before reaching the slaughterhouse.

Farm Sanctuary confronts agribusiness on all issues affecting farm animals and works to end cruel factory farming practices through investigations, public education, legislation, and litigation. Listed below are some of our key campaigns and efforts for farm animals. If you are interested in a particular issue, but do not see it covered here, please contact us at campaigns@farmsanctuary.org.

Ending the Abuse of Downed Animals

The No Downers Campaign seeks to prevent the suffering, marketing and slaughter of all downed animals (animals too sick even to stand) through legislation and policy change. Learn more.

Anti-Confinement Campaign
Yes on Prop 2!

The animal agriculture industry views farm animals as mere commodities. This mentality has led to widespread institutionalized cruelty, culminating in the advent of three particularly abhorrent confinement systems that Farm Sanctuary is working to eliminate through public education, outreach, legislative efforts and the ballot box.

Gestation Crates
The majority of sows bred to provide piglets to the pork industry spend most of their lives inside gestation crates, two-foot-wide metal enclosures that severely restrict the animals' movement and thwart their natural behaviors. Legislative efforts are underway to ban this confinement. Find out more about the plight of pigs subjected to the hog industry.

Battery Cages
Egg-laying hens are typically crowded together into tiny cages, where each bird is given an area smaller than an 8 ½-by-11-inch sheet of paper on which to live and is prevented from walking or stretching her wings. Legislative efforts are underway to ban these cruel systems. Find out more about battery cages and the plight of laying hens.

Veal Crates
Crated veal calves are normally confined inside 2-foot-wide enclosures for their entire lives. Usually chained by their necks, these animals cannot even turn around, stretch their limbs, or lie down comfortably. Please visit www.noveal.org for more information. Legislative efforts are underway to ban these cruel crates.

Ending the Cruelty of Foie Gras

Foie gras is produced by thrusting a metal pipe down the throats of ducks and force-feeding them enormous quantities of food several times a day. Our No Foie Gras Campaign advocates for an end to the inhumane practices of foie gras production through policy change, public education and restaurant outreach. Please visit www.nofoiegras.org to learn more and find out how you can participate in no-foie gras events held throughout the country.

Dairy-Free Campaign

Most dairy cows are forced into a continual cycle of impregnation, birth and lactation. Plagued by disease and stress, these animals, including those on "organic" farms, normally live in high density confinement, not on green pastures, and are slaughtered when their production declines. Our Dairy Campaign aims to stop this exploitation by decreasing demand for dairy and increasing the use of alternatives. Find out more about dairy industry atrocities, proposed legislation and what you can do to help dairy cows, the environment and people

Veg For Life Campaign

From former cattle ranchers to Hollywood celebrities, more and more people from every corner of America are recognizing that veganism is good for our health, the Earth and all animals. Our Veg for Life Campaign encourages people to make this important transition and provides them with the resources they need to successfully make the switch. Please visit www.vegforlife.org to learn more.

More Campaigns and Issues

Sentient Beings Campaign

Chaired by Mary Tyler Moore, the Sentient Beings Campaign challenges beliefs that animals are mere commodities to be exploited for food and fiber. For more information, please visit: www.sentientbeings.org.

AVMA Reform

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has historically adopted many policies that support inhumane factory farming practices. Farm Sanctuary is encouraging the AVMA to change their positions and adopt policies that are in the best interest of the animals. Find out more about the AVMA.

Anti-Cloning Efforts

The addition of cloning to the factory farming industry's arsenal of cruel and unnecessary practices only adds to the pain and suffering of farm animals and reinforces the degrading notion that they are commodities rather than sentient beings. Farm Sanctuary is working to inform the public about the effects cloning has on animals and advance policy to stop the practice in the U.S. Find out more about cloning.