Farm Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to promote conscientious eating, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture. Farm Forward aims to eliminate the most harmful practices in intensive animal agriculture, increase the market share of humane and sustainable animal agriculture, and raise awareness about the cultural significance of animal agriculture.
Programs
Eating Animals
Eating Animals is a nonfiction book promoted by Farm Forward and written by American author Jonathan Safran Foer, who serves as a member on Farm Forward's Board of Directors. The book was written in close collaboration with Farm Forward CEO Dr. Aaron Gross, an Associate Professor of Theology and Religious studies at the University of San Diego, as well as Ben Goldsmith, Senior Strategist at Farm Forward.
Eating Animals presents a discussion of what it means to eat animal products in an industrialized world where intensive animal agriculture, also known as factory farming, has become the norm. Framed as Foer's personal journey to decide whether his newly born son should eat meat or not, the book explores themes surrounding the complexities of food ethics, the role of food in the shaping of personal identity, and the philosophical implications of eating animals. More specifically, it explores these themes as they relate to factory farming. A Los Angeles Times article states that the book provides "the kind of wisdom that... deserves a place at the table with our greatest philosophers." In a Huffington Post article, Natalie Portman cites the book as the source for her change "from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist." A New York Magazine article criticizes the book as irritatingly inconclusive, as Foer "settles on the safest possible non-conclusion: vegetarianism is probably the best option."
Farm Forward helped adapt the book into the documentary Eating Animals (2018), directed by Christopher Quinn and produced and narrated by Jonathan Safran Foer and Natalie Portman. According to Newsweek, Natalie Portman worked on the film “in collaboration with the director Christopher Dillon Quinn and nonprofit Farm Forward.” Additionally, Farm Forward CEO Aaron Gross served as a screenwriter for the film. Like the book, the film explores the consequences of factory farming and its relation to animal rights, human rights, environmentalism, and the intersections between all three.
Leadership Circle
The Leadership Circle program consults with large institutions, including universities, hospitals and businesses, to help them source animal products with third-party higher welfare certifications. Members can join the Leadership Circle if they agree to source 100% of at least one animal protein from select third-party welfare certifications. In February 2018, Farm Forward received a grant to continue to support the work of the Leadership Circle. Leadership Circle members include Bon Appetit Management Company, Airbnb, Dr. Bronner's, Hazon, UC Berkeley and Villanova University.
Animal Welfare Certification
Buying Poultry
Buying Poultry is a program that aims to bring transparency from the poultry industry to its consumers. The New York Times quotes Farm Forward Executive Director Andrew Decoriolis, encapsulating the reason behind Farm Forward's Buying Poultry program: “Not all [animal welfare] certification seals are created equal... Companies can essentially pick the standards that are the easiest for them to meet.” To pose a solution to this problem, Farm Forward launched Buying Poultry in 2013, a program funded by a kick-starter campaign and a grant by the ASPCA. Buying Poultry is a national database that lists poultry products with their welfare labels or certifications. The website describes what these labels mean in terms of animal welfare in order to inform consumers about their poultry purchases. The database also provides grades for poultry products—ranging from A to F—in accordance with their labels and certifications. The primary aim of Buying Poultry is to increase the market share of higher welfare products.