S2, Ep11: Turning Adversaries into Allies with Leah Garcés
Jan 15, 2020
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Leah Garcés, President of Mercy for Animals and author of Grilled, shares her journey in animal welfare advocacy, including her shift in perspective on the chicken industry and the importance of storytelling. They discuss the power of protests for animal rights, the focus on poultry farmers, and the rise of flexitarianism. The chapter also touches on the debate within the vegan community about acceptable levels of veganism.
Fostering pragmatic relationships with industry players helps address systemic issues in factory farming.
Teaching children about animal sentience and compassion empowers them to advocate for change.
Changing the system and finding common ground with big businesses can lead to a more compassionate food system.
Deep dives
Focus on reducing suffering and exploitation of animals
Mercy for Animals, an animal protection movement, aims to construct a compassionate food system by reducing the suffering and exploitation of animals in factory farming. They work towards ending the use of animals in food and advocate for improved conditions for farmed animals. Their strategies include advocating for legislation to make close confinement illegal and partnering with food companies to advance their mission. By focusing on chickens raised for meat, which make up the majority of factory farming, Mercy for Animals targets the area where they can have the greatest impact on reducing animal suffering.
Building bridges and finding common ground
Leah Garsezon, the president of Mercy for Animals, believes in the power of unlikely partnerships and pragmatic relationships with industry players. She emphasizes the importance of having conversations and crossing enemy lines to address systemic issues such as factory farming. By engaging with individuals involved in the farming industry, including farmers and company executives, Mercy for Animals seeks to foster understanding and find win-win solutions. Leah's personal experiences, like meeting a chicken factory farmer and forming an unlikely friendship, have transformed her perspective on building empathy and understanding.
Raising vegan kids and inspiring change
Leah Garsezon, as a vegan mother, shares her love for animals and the ethical reasons behind veganism with her children. She teaches them about the sentience of animals and the importance of choosing compassion over cruelty. Her children, who see the world through the lens of veganism, understand the need to protect animals and make choices aligned with their values. Leah believes in nurturing empathy and respect for others' choices, even when they differ from one's own, empowering her children to stand up for what they believe in and advocate for change.
Changing the System: Focusing on the Ignorance and Greed
The podcast episode discusses the importance of focusing on changing the system rather than pinpointing one particular enemy. The speaker emphasizes that ignorance and lack of compassion around the issue of animal exploitation are at the root. However, blaming individuals or companies alone is not enough, as the system they are part of is driven by consumer demand for cheap meat and a lack of consideration for the sentient beings involved. Instead, the speaker advocates for finding win-win solutions and common ground, such as working with big businesses to help them evolve into plant-based alternatives. The goal is to change the system itself, moving away from violence and oppression.
Building Relationships with Farmers and Industry
The podcast explores the speaker's experiences in building relationships with farmers, slaughterhouse workers, and meat producers. The speaker mentions that trust and reputation play a crucial role in these interactions. While farmers are often willing to have conversations and share their concerns about the system, larger industries such as restaurants, supermarkets, and poultry companies can be more challenging to engage with. The speaker emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and problem-solving while acknowledging that sometimes, campaigns and pressure may be necessary to facilitate conversations and bring about real change. The ultimate objective is to transform the oppressive system and create a better food system for everyone, including farmers.
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How do a lifelong animal rights activist and a chicken factory farmer become friends? How does working with the oppressors of animals help the vegan movement? Leah Garcés, president of Mercy For Animals and author of Grilled, has made it her life’s mission to advocate for animal rights by crossing enemy lines and working with the world’s largest food corporations to change the system. In this episode she speaks to Tylor and Evy about her dedication to protecting animals from a young age, how meeting a factory farmer radically altered her outlook and approach to activism and how she navigates relationships with the people killing the animals she’s trying to save. Also on this episode...
Leah shares how the ducks in her backyard awakened her urge to protect animals.
How Leah’s dream of being a vet evolved when she realised she wanted to tackle the very root of animal suffering.
‘Once I discovered that there was this world where you could advocate for farmed animals, and that could be a job, I never stopped advocating for animals, it was my professional job from day 1’.
How having her first child inspired Leah to deeply consider her work and life’s purpose.
Leah talks about the initial inner conflict of being a vegan working in a welfare space, and how she reconciled herself with fighting for animal welfare.
‘Conversations and empathy do not equal endorsement.’ We talk about the fact that many vegans see working with people in animal agriculture as a betrayal of one’s vegan values.
Leah explains how her unique friendship with farmer, Craig Watts, radically shifted her approach to animal rights advocacy.
How farmers become trapped as ‘indentured servants’ in the factory farming system
‘Hate the oppression, not the oppressor,’ Leah explains the Martin Luther King philosophy that inspires her activism.
If farmers are not the enemy, then who is?
How Leah built a rapport with and earned the trust of farmers in the first place.
The role of protesting in animal welfare activism and when is the right time to stage a protest.
MFA’s Transfarmation project
Leah talks about being a vegan mom and how much of her work she chooses to share with her children.
Leah weighs in on whether or not a fully vegan future is plausible.
