Why Farmed Animals?
Worldwide, more than 80 billion fellow land creatures and up to 7 trillion sea animals are farmed and killed for food each year. The use of animals for food massively dominates all other human misuses of animals, and the continuing intensification of animal agriculture imposes increasingly harsh burdens on the animals, the people working in the industry, communities surrounding these operations and the earth itself.
God Created Animals and Wants Them to Flourish
God designed everything with intention and purpose and called it good. Just like human beings, animals were created to glorify God and give praise. God delights in all creatures and the Bible tells us that God cares even about the sparrow.
The Problem
Animals of the Sky
70%
of all birds on earth are birds farmed for food.
This means that only 30% live in the wild. Many, including cage-free and free-range birds, never have the opportunity to experience the outdoors. Instead of experiencing the fresh air, sunshine, and clear skies, they spend their lives in an ammonia filled barn with space not much larger than a sheet of paper.
Animals of the Land
60%
of all mammals on earth are farmed for food, mostly cows and pigs.
while 36% are humans, and just 4% are wild animals. Globally, 1.5 billion pigs are slaughtered each year. The majority of these spend their entire lives in factory farms. Dairy cows who are rescued from the industry are often unable to stand or move after spending years in a position that atrophies their bones and muscles.
Animals of the Sea
98-99%
of animals killed for food when counted individually are fish.
Over 500 years of colonization, commercial fishing, and ocean pollution have led to 80% decline in all sea life including sting rays, dolphins, and corals. It’s estimated that fish are 98-99% of all animals killed for food when counted individually. On fish farms, aquatic animals are unable to swim freely or engage in natural migration patterns, they spread diseases quickly, and have a high early mortality rate because of the poor water quality.
Industrial Agriculture also
Impacts Peoples and the Earth
Pollution
Industrial farms are strategically placed near BIPOC communities. These communities are disproportionately affected by the industry as they are forced to live with intensified levels of stench, pollution, and ground and surface water contamination. Studies conducted in North Carolina, a US state with more than 6,500 CAFOs, show that these communities have higher levels of serious ill health, ranging from asthma and bacterial infections to higher rates of death and infant mortality.
Exploitation
Worldwide, slaughterhouse and industrial farm workers tend to be the most marginalized, vulnerable members of society, including undocumented persons, people of color, and migrant workers. Slaughterhouse and farm workers endure dangerous working conditions, such as malfunctioning equipment, hazardous materials, and corporate exploitation. In the US, farm workers have the lowest annual family incomes of any U.S. wage and salary workers.
Hunger
Factory farms of all types degrade the environment, harm local communities, reduce the overall quality of food calories, and crowd out ethical farmers, all of which contribute to global food insecurity. Small family farmers, food service workers, residents of communities experiencing food apartheid, and communities fighting for food sovereignty all suffer in our current system, which favors huge corporations whose practices decimate local foodways.
Pandemics
“If you actually want to create global pandemics, then build factory farms.” Michael Greger. Animals farmed for food in factory farms experience antibiotic resistance. Their viruses have been transmitted from animals farmed for food to humans, whether through exposure to infected animals (i.e. swine flu and avian flu) or by consuming infected meat (mad cow disease). Slaughter and processing facilities are prime opportunities for the spread of viruses or food-borne diseases like e. coli and salmonella.
The Environment
Industrial agriculture and agribusinesses are responsible for deforestation all over the globe, including the Amazon. This act continues to displace millions of Indigenous peoples, put many protected wild animal species at risk, and contributes to climate change.
How You Can Help
Learn
Christian tradition, practitioners, and theologians all have a lot to say about our relationship with animals.
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Teach
Use CreatureKind’s resources to help the people in your own faith community understand the impact of our food choices.
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Join
Work with CreatureKind as a Fellow, become a Partner Community, or join in the conversation on social media.
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Eat
People from all walks of life can make food choices that honor their traditions and foster liberation for animals, peoples, and the earth.
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Commit
Sign the CreatureKind Commitment to let others know that you are committed to the health and well-being of the whole of God’s beloved community.
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Donate
Every dollar makes a difference. Donate to support the liberative work of CreatureKind today.
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Want to dive deeper into reading and resources? Check out our Learning Hub.
Frequently Answered Questions
CreatureKind exists to encourage the church, other religious institutions, and Christians to participate in animal protection, for the health and safety of all of God’s creatures. We equip Christians with the tools they need to advocate for animals; provide education and support to pastors and other Christian leaders on the importance and validity of including animals and animal issues in Christian life and practice; work with churches, other institutions, and individuals on adopting more sustainable food policies; and provide a community in which Christian animal advocates can express their experience, strength, and hope among like-minded Christians.
Whether you are just starting your CreatureKind journey or have been a Christian animal advocate for decades, and whether you have 5 minutes to spare or are looking for in-depth engagement, there’s a place for you here.
- Sign the CreatureKind Commitment.
- Read and share articles from the CreatureKind blog.
- Download and lead the CreatureKind course for churches.
- Help us talk to your community about more sustainable food practices.
- Invite us to speak, preach, or lead a conversation.
- Attend an event near you.
- Donate to help expand our capacity to do this vital work.
- Volunteer with us…and more!
We’ve written a number of articles on our blog addressing some of the most common misconceptions, questions, and conundrums faced by Christians who advocate for animals. If you have a question that isn’t answered there, please let us know and we’ll either write something or point you to excellent existing resources.
Be sure to look out our list of Recommended Reading. Working your way through that material is a great way to prepare yourself to address a huge variety of questions.
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