Some animal right activists appear to have soured on the use of the term “factory farm.”



At the 2015 Animal Rights National Conference, in Alexandria, Va., Hope Bohanec of United Poultry Concerns said, “The term factory farm had its time … we have inadvertently created the alternative animal agriculture industry. All animal agriculture is bad.” Bohanec was among those that asked for the term “factory farming” to be retired from the activists’ lexicon, according to the Animal Agriculture Alliance, who attended the meeting.

Dr. Carrie P. Freeman, associate professor, department of communication, Georgia State University, and author of the book, "Framing Farming: Communications Strategies for Animal Rights," explained that attacking the farming of animals in general and not just large-scale farming is where activists need to focus their efforts.

“When we show people how bad and egregious factory farming is … most people will say, ‘Well, I should go to a different farm.’ (We) need to focus more on all farming being bad, not just factory farming,” said Freeman.

The “raising and eating animals is unjust … ecologically unacceptable and irresponsible,” Freeman said, further noting that “Owning someone to use their bodies is cruel” and that, “We don’t need to be omnivores.”



“It’s not fair to farm anyone. Farming itself is unnatural," said Freeman.

Dallas Rising, executive director, Animal Rights Coalition, said “there are a lot of problems with small family farms” and “veganism is not about food, it’s about justice.”