In the Global South, Activists Are Challenging Factory Farms in Court

The world is on track to eat a lot more meat — beef consumption alone is predicted to rise 80 percent between 2010 and 2050, according to the World Resources Institute.

As a result, agriculture production — especially livestock farming — is also on the rise, but some activists are pushing back. A new legal analysis outlines how animal advocates and concerned citizens in four low- and middle-income countries — Brazil, India, Mexico and Zimbabwe — are leveraging the legal system to uphold and even expand livestock’s legal protections.

There are a number of factors contributing to this expansion. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development cites rising incomes in middle-income countries and growing populations in low-income countries as two factors driving increased demand for meat and dairy.

“The richer people get…the more they want to consume meat, because meat is considered the symbol of wealth and luxury,” says Hira Jaleel, visiting assistant professor at Lewis & Clark Law School and the editor of the analysis.