World Day for Farmed Animals Sheds Light on Flawed Food System
Published by Sentient Media.
In April of 2020, an Iowa pig farmer received a cold call from an animal advocate in California. The call was part of an effort to connect farmed animals with rescue organizations amidst widespread mass slaughters due to the pandemic. Soon the farmer relinquished two healthy 7-week-old piglets—who may have otherwise faced untimely deaths—to Farmaste Animal Sanctuary in Lindstrom, Minnesota. At Farmaste, the two piglets, later named Phoebe and Charlotte, would feel grass and see the sky for the very first time.
The importance of humans’ bonds with farmed animals like Phoebe and Charlotte is part of the inspiration for World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA), which is observed each year on October 2 in honor of Gandhi’s birthday. WDFA was established in 1983 to recognize and mourn the annual loss of more than 60 billion cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals who suffer and die for human consumption. WDFA provides an opportunity for people across the globe to stand up in defense of these often invisible animals, the vast majority of whom spend their short lives on factory farms. Most of them never see sunlight and live in cramped cages, often without enough space to turn around or lie down. On WDFA, thousands of people around the world will hold public vigils or fast in solidarity with the many animals who are starved on their long journeys to slaughter.
