Factory Farms Panic: Tariffs, Wolves, and Deadly Grain Bins | Rising Anxieties

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann dives into the animal agriculture industry’s publications to uncover what’s making them sweat these days. As she often points out, only two groups truly know what happens behind closed factory farm doors: advocates and the industry itself. The Rising Anxieties podcast uses their own words to pull back the curtain on what they are really worried about..

This episode explores:

• The industry’s panic over international tariffs creating a “mad scramble” to find new outlets for meat products originally destined for China—with producers likely expecting taxpayers to bail them out
• Why large-scale poultry producers in Brazil are having a meltdown over Indigenous communities starting small chicken farms
• The shockingly common phenomenon of “grain entrapment” killing dozens of workers annually—with industry more focused on body recovery than prevention
• How California sheriff departments are moonlighting as environmental policy critics by opposing wolf protection measures to please livestock producers

Rising Anxieties offers a revealing glimpse into what agricultural publications inadvertently tell us about industry vulnerabilities. By reading between the lines of their own communications, we gain valuable insight into the economic, safety, and political challenges that might just be tipping the scales toward a more compassionate food system.

**Editor’s note: In this episode, you’ll notice slightly tinnier audio quality due to an accidental mic switch during recording. The insights are as sharp as ever—only the packaging is different this time. Thanks for your understanding!**

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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