Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

Michelle Graham joins the podcast today and we love this conversation! Michelle is the Executive Director of Wild Animal Initiative (WAI), where she focuses encouraging and facilitating research on wild animal welfare. We talk to Michelle about why we must focus on wild animal welfare, even when so many domesticated animals continue to suffer at the hands of humans. She also discusses the inherent problems in weighing welfare against beauty and how we must balance the trade-offs necessary to being responsible humans. Among the questions she examines in her work are how to ensure we are not doing more harm than good in the natural world as animal activists, and what steps researchers can take to develop and support safe interventions. In addition to her work at WAI, Michelle is a Ph.D. student in engineering mechanics at Virginia Tech. Her research brings data together to tell the story of the jumping and gliding locomotion of flying snakes and their relatives, ultimately focusing on the physical requirements and different approaches to navigating their arboreal habitats. In addition to her research, Michelle, an avid vegan, has worked with animals in shelters, veterinary offices, farms, and zoos. “I am not only a wild animal welfare advocate. I am not only an animal advocate. I am not only any one thing. I care about realizing the best possible world that we can achieve and that world does not have racism in it.” – Michelle Graham This Week in Our Hen House: How to consider the perspectives of wild animals The kinds of research that can show us how to better help wild animals How we can extend whole species’ protections to individual wild animals Whether extinction in and of itself is a problem System-level consequences, what they are, and why the WAI is looking at long- and short-term research into them Interventions that can be implemented right now to protect individual animals What whitetail deer and pigeons have in common How to develop safe interventions and avoid destructive ones, and the activities we can engage in to safely improve wild animal welfare How Michelle’s Ph.D. in engineering mechanics relates to her animal advocacy work and how she reconciles her research with animal ethics principles The link between welfare for wild animals and farmed animals and how advocates can learn from continued collaboration Why Michelle is spearheading efforts of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the animal advocacy space Effective altruism and how it relates to animal rights Connect with Michelle Graham: Wild Animal Initiative Website How Racism in Animal Advocacy and Effective Altruism Hinders Our Mission by Michelle Graham Michelle Graham on LinkedIn Wild Animal Initiative on Facebook Wild Animal Initiative on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

The incredible Chef Cola joins the podcast from Zimbabwe this week and we couldn’t be more excited. Nicola “Chef Cola” Kagoro founded African Vegan On A Budget in 2016 to raise awareness about plant-based eating and to inspire people to incorporate vegan meals into their diet everyday. She teamed up with the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) to establish a vegan camp kitchen in the bush for the Akashinga Rangers, an all-woman team protecting wild animals from poaching.  Chef Cola is also the founder of the grassroots movement Back to Black Roots, an initiative that spreads awareness of the beauty of African vegan culture and cuisine. Chef Cola joins Mariann today to share the steps and strategies that she takes to ensure she is not only feeding the anti-poaching rangers healthy, nourishing, and delicious meals, but also encouraging them to teach their families about the benefits of a plant-based diet and helping them carry the movement out into their communities. She explains why she is so passionate about spreading the word about the vegan diet and shares why  it’s important to incorporate nutritional education in schools and clinics. She also talks about how she works to counter the idea that veganism is a luxury Western diet rather than the very basis of traditional African cuisine. “We now know that meat is not right for us, and we now know that meat is a form of exploitation.” – Chef Cola This Week in Our Hen House: How Chef Cola approaches educating the community, and the key process of “unlearning” the prestige of eating meat How she managed to show the Akashinga warriors that plant-based eating can be delicious and healthy The negative effects of the introduction of factory farming in Africa and whether Chef Cola feels that traditional diets are under threat from the availability of cheap meat Impact of colonialism on the African diet as a whole, and why that continues to be a problem for Black, Indigenous, and people of color How the IAPF has helped spread the philosophy of animal rights Why more light needs to be shed on the issue of climate change and its connection to what we eat Chef Cola’s thoughts on how the vegan movement and the Black Lives Matter movement intersect How Chef Cola connected with the IAPF and why she is passionate about looking to history to inform her present role as an ambassador for returning to a traditional African diet Connect with Chef Cola: International Anti-Poaching Foundation Website Back to Black Roots on Facebook African Vegan on a Budget on Facebook African Vegan on a Budget on Instagram Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Caryn Ginsberg, a strategic planning consultant and author of "Animal Impact," shares her journey from the business world to animal advocacy. She discusses her new report on opportunities in farmed animal advocacy, highlighting trends from interviews with leaders. Caryn emphasizes the importance of collaboration across movements, especially in light of COVID and climate issues, and underscores the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in advocacy. Listeners can also discover how to leverage new vegan products effectively.

Becky Jenkins, who is the Executive Director of the Aquatic Life Institute, joins us on Our Hen House to explain why aquatic animals should be a primary focus of the animal protection movement and why the Institute decided to focus on the fish farming aspect of animal agriculture. She also provides a brief overview of this far-too-little-known but huge industry, including why fish farming is not only hideously cruel, but is not the sustainable business it is reputed to be. Becky also reflects on whether there is a disconnect between the advocates of effective altruism and other animal activist groups, and how the Aquatic Life Institute promotes improved welfare for aquatic animals without condoning animal exploitation. Becky has a passion for holistic, international, and pro-intersectional approaches to animal issues. She has spoken at conferences and been published in academic journals worldwide and is currently co-authoring a textbook on aquatic animal law. Becky studied at the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative at the Center for Animal Law Studies in Portland, Oregon, and also holds a law degree from Trinity College Dublin and a Master’s degree in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School. “Our mission is to accelerate activities that positively improve aquatic animal lives, focusing on farmed fish as they are the greatest in number.” – Becky Jenkins This Week in Our Hen House: The coalitions the Institute is building, including the Aquatic Animal Alliance, and the shared projects they are currently involved in with their partners Why horribly inhumane slaughter methods are still used in aquatic animal farming and how the Aquatic Life Institute hopes to impact the industry A brief look at current research on the consciousness of fishes and what the evidence shows us about their realities How the program at Lewis and Clark Law School on aquatic animals and her studies with Kathy Hessler influenced Becky Why seafood certifications often aren’t what they seem How we know that fishes have the capacity to have pleasurable and positive experiences and how they play and interact with each other, according to Professor Rebecca Franks’ recent research What the future holds for aquatic animal agriculture Becky’s hopes for what the Aquatic Life Institute can achieve in the short and medium-term with their program of humane education How can we engender the same level of compassion and empathy for aquatic animals that land animals receive How Becky first connected with Our Hen House and Mariann and why the show has significantly influenced her life Connect with Becky Jenkins: Aquatic Life Institute Website Becky Jenkins on LinkedIn Aquatic Life Institute on Facebook Aquatic Life Institute on Instagram Aquatic Life Institute on Twitter Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Amy Quichiz joins Our Hen House podcast co-host Jasmin Singer in this episode to tell us about an extraordinary collective she co-founded, Veggie Mijas, and how it started and how it has since grown. Amy was inspired to found this vibrant community, which has since expanded well beyond its original home on Instagram, because she wanted to show the Latinx community how they could access healthier foods, talk about their rights within the food industry, and bring their perspectives to the issues of animal liberation and environmental justice. As a woman of color from Jackson Heights, New York, Amy has witnessed the environmental racism that has given rise to a lack of resources and opportunity in Latinx communities, and is committed to forging social change. Amy shares why veganism is a vital part of her worldview and heritage, and how white vegans can better center and include vegans (and prospective vegans) of color. Amy also discusses how the movement has changed and developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, how she and her colleagues prioritize their own mental health to continue supporting their community, and her hopes for the future. Amy feels that the work of Veggie Mijas as a social movement has the potential to inspire communities to organize for profound social change while maintaining the authenticity of Latinx culture. In this week’s “Our Hen House Supports Vegan Businesses,” we’re supporting Maxine’s Heavenly, a vegan cookie company, and Veltree, a plant-based soul food restaurant located in Charlotte, North Carolina.  “It’s always about finding your voice, finding your passion and finding what you want to change in the world.” – Amy Quichiz This Week in Our Hen House: How the Veggie Mijas collective expanded and grew, and the unique perspective that draws people to join them What “decolonizing your diet” means and why what you eat isn’t necessarily an independent choice How Veggie Mijas’ potlucks have been successful in building community, Amy’s favorite potluck thus far, and how the potlucks double as a safe place for vegans of color to be open and honest How Amy has steered Veggie Mijas during the pandemic How Veggies Mijas plans to move forward with advocacy and events post-pandemic The internal work that Veggie Mijas coordinators are doing to ensure they can continue to serve their communities, and the personal and collective goals the group is focusing on Why the collective is addressing veganism through a feminist, queer, leftist lens How the plant-based lifestyle aligns with food justice and provokes meaningful conversations Connect with Amy Quichiz: Veggie Mijas Website Veggie Mijas Cookbook Veggie Mijas on Facebook Veggie Mijas on Instagram Amy Quichiz on Instagram Connect with Our Hen House: Our Hen House Website Our Hen House on Facebook Our Hen House on Instagram Our Hen House on Twitter __________________________ This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org. __________________________ You can listen to our podcast directly on our website, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher! Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation, or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible! Thank you for helping us create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new podcast episode each week! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.