IAF India Animal Foundation

Issue

There is increasing evidence that human health, environmental sustainability, and animal well-being are closely interconnected. Over the centuries, animals have come to be exploited in many ways. This has accelerated in the modern world with factory farming, animals used for food, labor, science, entertainment, clothing and more. Community animals and animals in the wild too greatly suffer due to human activities. The scale is staggering – animals outnumber us by a factory of many, and the intensity of suffering at an individual animal’s level is immense. Animal Justice, we believe, is just as importat as past movements like voting rights for women, LGBTQ rights and abolition of practices like slavery, caste discrimination Sati & child marriage. It is the next frontier of social justice. Apart from a lack of awareness of the suffering behind animal sourced products and services that we consume, most consumers are also unaware of the environmental impact of animal agriculture or its impact on human health. It is the largest contributor to GHG emissions & deforestation, while simultaneously consuming disproportionate amounts of natural resources and gravely polluting air, soil & groundwater. Most consumers are unaware of the linkage of animal markets to pandemics like COVID & SARS, or the extensive usage of artificial hormones and non-therapeutic antibiotics that is pushing us towards the next major healthcare crisis – antibiotic resistance. Research has shown a direct correlation between cruelty to animals in childhood and propensity for criminal behavior in adulthood.