EA - Summary of “Animal Rights Activism Trends to Look Out for in 2023” by Animal Agriculture Alliance by Aashish Khimasia

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Summary of “Animal Rights Activism Trends to Look Out for in 2023” by Animal Agriculture Alliance, published by Aashish Khimasia on February 23, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.A blog-post by a member of the Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA) has identified several trends in animal rights activism that they project for 2023. These trends are likely to be causes for concern for the animal agriculture industry, and the piece was written to make AAA supporters aware of them. Recognising these trends and identifying the views held on these animal advocacy tactics by proponents of animal agriculture may provide advocates with valuable insights.In this post, I list the key trends identified by the article and bullet point tactics highlighted by the article which are of particular interest.I’m thankful to “The Cranky Vegan” for bringing this article to my attention through their linked video.Linking CAFOs to negative human and environmental healthDrawing attention to the detrimental effects of CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) to human and environmental healthUsing historical precedents of CAFOs being charged in court such as in North Carolina and Seattle in messagingExploring cases where ethnic minorities have experienced disproportionate negative health impacts of CAFOsThis strategy may create opposition to CAFOs from individuals and organisations that may not be compelled by animal-focused driven arguments, and could be further integrated into outreach and media messaging. Referring to historical precedents of CAFOs being charged with breaching environmental regulations may help to legitimise messaging against them.The use of undercover footage in court and mediaUsing undercover footage from factory farms to motivate arguments in court that such operations engage in unfair competition, false advertising, market distortion and fraudUsing undercover footage from factory farms pressure retailers to cut ties with such farmsUsing undercover footage from animal rescue missions from factory farms as evidence against charges of trespassing and theftThe continued and increased use of undercover footage from factory farms is clearly concerning for animal agriculture, given the extensive efforts to block this such as through so called Ag-gag laws. However, the suppression of undercover footage from factory farms may lead to increased media attention on these items and public scrutiny on the conditions of factory farms. Indeed, in a recent case, Direct Action Everywhere activists who were being prosecuted after liberating piglets from a Smithfield Foods farm and releasing footage from their mission, were acquitted by the jury, despite the judge blocking the jury from viewing the footage taken. The aforementioned ways in which undercover footage may be used to aid the acquittal of activists, challenge farms in court and pressure retailers to cut ties with farms highlight the potency of combining undercover footage with legal action.Prioritising Youth EngagementEngaging young people in programmes that rival agricultural programmes like FFA and 4-HFostering social disapproval of animal product consumption and normalising plant-based foods in classrooms, presenting the suffering caused by factory farming in an emotive wayEducating young people and creating a shift in culture towards empathy, through recognising the suffering caused by animal agriculture and normalising plant-based foods, may challenge the image that animal agriculture is trying to maintain. This may be an important factor in changing consumption habits of future generations.Deconstructing legal personhoodThe use of the writ of habeas corpus, a right that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment, as a way to challenge the legal personhood of animals by the Nonhuman Rights ...