In the United States, nearly 10 billion animals are slaughtered for food each year. In 2018 alone, more than 77 billion animals were killed worldwide for food. Many of these animals are raised on factory farms, including 99% of the animals killed in the United States. That means that the lives of billions of animals are placed last behind the profits of big agribusiness, that billions of animals are mistreated and slaughtered for money, every single year.
This does not even account for the damage done to people and the planet by these farms, from poor working conditions to environmental degradation, all in the name of profit. At Earth Animal, we know that we should - and can - do better. Treating animals ethically is a big part of our mission, and that is why our 1% partner for May is Farm Sanctuary, an organization that fights against the damage caused by factory farms to animals, our health, our society, and our planet.
Now celebrating its 35th year, through rescue, education, and advocacy, Farm Sanctuary uses rescue, education, and advocacy to push back against the horrific toll that factory farming has taken on animals, people, and the environment and to provide healing and hope for the future. Since rescuing their first sheep from a factory farm in 1986, the organization has saved the lives of thousands of animals.
At sanctuaries in California and New York, these animals are given the opportunity to live out their lives in safety and comfort, and their stories serve as a message to the world about both the horrors of factory farming and the sentience and resilience of animals. Through media campaigns and educational programs, Farm Sanctuary teaches children and adults about the problems with factory farming and what can be done to combat and change it.
Their advocacy efforts range from ballot initiatives to corporate and consumer outreach, while working to make the changes in governance that are necessary to protect animals, people, and the planet from the detrimental effects of factory farming.
Farm Sanctuary and Earth Animal share the belief that animals deserve so much better than what they get on factory farms. At Earth Animal, this means that we only work with partners who follow the Five Domains Model of animal care. This model ensures a better quality of life for farm animals by providing: proper nutrition, an appropriate environment, a focus on animal health, the behavioral freedom to follow their instincts, and, as a result, a healthy mental state.
It also means that we are thrilled and honored to support the work of Farm Sanctuary by making them May's 1% Promise Partner and by donating a portion of our e-commerce sales to their cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of farm animals while also working to enable people to have meaningful, safe, and fairly compensated work, and to heal the planet and prevent future environmental damage.
These are lofty goals, but they are necessary and achievable when we work together and understand what we at Earth Animal already know and live: that animal health is human health is planet health. We are all connected, and we are all Earth Animals.
