Garcés' second book examines our failing food
policies and calls for a humane and sustainable farming
system
ATLANTA , Aug. 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leah Garcés, CEO and
president of Mercy For Animals, will release her second book,
"Transfarmation: The Movement to Free Us from Factory
Farming," on September 17. To be
published by Beacon Press, "Transfarmation" is an insightful and
pointed exploration of the injustices perpetrated by factory
farming — from animal cruelty and environmental degradation to the
exploitation of farmers and marginalized rural communities.
'Transfarmation: The Movement to Free Us
from Factory Farming' by Mercy For Animals CEO & Pres. Leah
Garcés out Sept. 17
Garcés has been a leader in the animal protection movement for
more than 20 years. In this new book, her perspective is not simply
academic and speculative; Garcés outlines real-world applications
of the initiative she founded and Mercy For Animals launched in
2019, The Transfarmation Project®. A farmer-led movement
for a better food system, Transfarmation™ funds and
guides U.S. farmers — motivated by economic, environmental or
animal welfare concerns — in switching from raising animals to
growing specialty crops.
In addition to the unimaginable cruelty inflicted on the animals
who suffer in factory farms, several other compelling reasons
create an urgent need to move away from the antiquated and
destructive factory-farming system:
- Industrial animal agriculture is a significant source of U.S.
greenhouse gas emissions, particularly due to "enteric
fermentation" (part of the digestive process of ruminant animals,
such as cows and sheep) and manure storage and management.
- Factory farming also causes financial harm to farmers and rural
communities, especially communities of color, who endure air
pollution that often drives them indoors and contaminates their
land and water.
- Factory-farm workers are often exploited and subjected to
hazardous working conditions.
- The plant-based food industry is expected to be worth
$85 billion by 2030. Food brands will
need a reliable source of key ingredients, such as peas, mushrooms,
oats and greens.
Since its inception five years ago, The Transfarmation
Project® has helped seven farmers transition from
factory farming to raising crops for human consumption.
Transitioning these farms has reduced factory farming's capacity by
an estimated 2,780,325 animals each year.
In "Transfarmation" Garcés uses insights from interviews and her
fieldwork to share the perspectives of three main groups — farmers,
animals and affected rural communities. "Transfarmation" is
about solutions and the inspiring individuals paving the way for a
more ethical, sustainable food system.
"For many years, Leah Garcés has been an outspoken advocate of
Mercy For Animals," said Eric
Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the
All-American Meal." "In this wise book, she also expresses great
compassion for the farmers, ranchers and workers trapped in an
industrial food system that sickens consumers and poisons the land.
Factory farms are a crime against nature, and "Transfarmation"
convincingly argues that we can feed ourselves, must heal
ourselves, without them."
"Transfarmation" highlights the farmers transitioning from
factory farming toward humane practices, the advocates fighting to
end suffering for farmed animals and the frontline communities
standing up to corporate giants — all in a collective effort to
revamp our food system into one that is more compassionate and
equitable for all.
"Transfarmation" will be sold by all major book retailers and is
currently available for preorder. A six-city book tour is planned
for fall 2024, with scheduled stops in Boston; Charlotte; Dallas; Denver; New York
City; and Sâo Paolo, Brazil. The book tour is sponsored in part by
Better Life for Animals.
For more information about The Transfarmation
Project®, visit TheTransfarmationProject.org.
Leah Garcés is the CEO and president of Mercy For
Animals and author of "Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies to
Change the Chicken Industry" and "Transfarmation: The Movement to
Free Us from Factory Farming." With more than 20 years of
leadership experience in the animal protection movement, she has
partnered with corporations, communities and governments on her
mission to build a better food system. Her work has been featured
in national and international media outlets, including the
"New York Times," the "Washington Post," BuzzFeed, VICE and
the "Chicago Tribune." She has presented at global forums,
including TEDx, RIO+10 and the World Health Organization's Global
Forum for Health Research.
Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit
working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just
and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico
and the United States, the
organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms
and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies and
helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals.
2024 marks Mercy For Animals' 25th
year of groundbreaking campaigns and programs. Learn more at
MercyForAnimals.org.
Transfarmation™ is a farmer-led movement working to build
collective power sufficient to realize a just and sustainable food
system. The Transfarmation Project® does this by removing barriers
for farmers aiming to transition from factory farming to raising
specialty crops. The project creates models of alternative economic
opportunities, builds solidarity with other movements and shifts
societal narratives to change culture. Learn more at
TheTransfarmationProject.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mercy-for-animals-ceo-and-president-leah-garces-to-release-new-book-transfarmation-the-movement-to-free-us-from-factory-farming-sept-17-302223060.html
SOURCE Mercy For Animals