Kickstarting for Good

Artificial Intelligence is poised to disrupt society in countless ways, but its impact on the food system remains uncertain. The animal agriculture industry is already using AI and has the resources to invest heavily in new technologies. KFG seeks to support effective ways to use AI to improve advocacy, level the playing field between advocates and industrial animal agriculture, and transform the global food system. This may include, for example, efforts to train advocacy organisations to utilise existing AI tools more effectively to streamline their processes, improve their research and communications, and have more impact. It could also involve identifying effective uses of existing and emerging AI tools to directly conduct consumer advocacy, corporate campaigns, etc. At this time, we are open to new uses of AI, but we are not currently seeking initiatives to build new LLMs (large language models) since KFG’s recent alumni Open Paws is already working on this.

Despite the many global problems caused or exacerbated by animal agriculture (climate change, public health, animal welfare, etc.), governments have been slow to enact policy changes to move toward more sustainable alternatives. But policies are an especially important tool for advocacy, with individual laws that can affect billions of animals and impacts that typically last 50-100 years. KFG seeks to support one or more new efforts, staffed by experts, to advocate for policy changes that incentivize movement toward novel sources of protein and away from animal agriculture. This may involve activities like lobbying to strengthen the landscape for sustainable foods or against proposed legislation that would limit plant-based product labelling and cultivated meat production. It could also include encouraging investment in the production and distribution of alternative protein products through tax breaks and government subsidies, or supporting research into and development of improved plant-based and cultivated foods. The specific activities chosen will be complementary to the work of groups like ProVeg, GFI, and others. 

In the United States, just 3% of US charitable giving supports both animal and environmental causes, with a tiny fraction reaching farmed animal protection. Farmed Animal Funders estimate that donations to farmed animal causes total about $200 million per year, which is less than half of one percent of all charitable donations. The vast majority of funding for climate change goes to the energy and transport sectors while food systems receive just 3%. As a result, work on food system transformation is underfunded and struggling to make a large-scale impact. KFG seeks to significantly boost funding for farmed animal and food system charities by identifying new income streams and attracting new and diverse donors. Activities may include building connections with funders in related sectors like climate change and public health, exploring new opportunities with corporations and governments, and working with existing fundraising organisations to help them expand their reach to nontraditional donors and foundations. We are particularly open to new and creative ideas – or proven ideas from other movements – spearheaded by experienced fundraisers.

Nearly five billion people are members of at least one social media platform, representing dramatic growth from less than one billion users in 2010. Most young people spend four hours or more on social media and related apps every day, making it arguably the most important source of information for younger consumers. It is clear that the influence of social media is strong and continuing to grow and KFG seeks to improve and increase the movement’s social media content and online presence. We are interested in ideas to help plant-forward social media content creators be more professional, persuasive, effective, and self-sustaining. We also support ideas to help recognize and reward highly effective social media influencers and platforms focusing on plant-based eating and food system transformation and to create stronger communities among mission-aligned influencers.

Efforts to reduce and replace animal product consumption by engaging corporations have shown excellent promise in areas like foodservice and with plant-based defaults. Transforming the global food system requires building a corporate infrastructure to support positive industry changes and alternative consumer choices. KFG is looking for new ideas to use the power and influence of corporations to create a more sustainable and humane food system. These may involve entirely new initiatives – for example, in collaboration with not-for-profits or startups – or efforts to replicate previously successful campaigns in new areas of corporate engagement. For example, organising a coalition of private sector leaders who are eager to nurture a more plant-forward corporate environment or work together to pursue specific industry changes. Also, we are interested in identifying and promoting technological solutions to reduce the number of animals killed for food.

University students are a key audience for food system transformation. They tend to be relatively open to personal behaviour change and have the potential to make a significant impact through their dietary and career choices. There are about 235 million students enrolled in universities worldwide. KFG supports new efforts to conduct strategic outreach to these students including ideas to educate, influence, organise, and support them. For example, a new initiative dedicated to student outreach at top universities, including creating student groups, promoting plant-based food, encouraging food system careers, holding events and hosting speakers, etc. We will also consider ideas to connect and support organisations, groups, or individuals working on plant-forward eating and food awareness education in universities or, for example, a regional umbrella organisation for student networks and campus groups focused on plant-based eating.

Effective communication is essential to amplify the movement’s messages despite having limited resources for media and advertising. Current perceptions of animal advocates, plant-based foods, and food technology in general are mixed and often polarised, in part due to well-funded campaigns by the meat industry. KFG supports improving the movement’s use of public relations, media, and communications, such as the work on disinformation conducted by KFG alumni, The Freedom Food Alliance. Examples include a nonprofit public relations programme working with new and established groups in our movement to get more and better media recognition or a journalism support organisation similar to the Society for Environmental Journalists, or a programme to connect advocates with professional PR companies willing to provide pro bono support.

Chefs, culinary schools, and the culinary field as a whole have the potential to either accelerate or slow down the transition to animal-free foods. In the U.S. alone, the culinary industry employs around 15 million people, including 175,000 chefs and head cooks. Globally, we estimate there are more than 150 million people working in culinary fields including restaurants, foodservice, catering, etc. KFG supports engaging with these professionals to help them be more successful, create a community of like-minded chefs, and generally work to improve the quality and availability of plant-based foods in all parts of the world. For example, international programmes modelled on the successful “Vegucation” programme in Austria, which educates vocational culinary schools about how to teach aspiring chefs to cook plant-based food, or a coalition of industry scientists who help food companies replace animal ingredients.

Religious beliefs and values have a deep influence on the actions of billions of people. Worldwide, more than 80% of people identify as being affiliated with a religion, including 2.2 billion Christians, 1.6 billion Muslims, and 1 billion Hindus. KFG seeks initiatives that work with often neglected religious groups to leverage their influence in creating a more compassionate food system. Potential initiatives include a programme to encourage members of one or more religious groups to change their attitudes and behaviour toward animals or plant-based eating, or a campaign reaching out to influential religious leaders with a message of food system transformation through the lens of faith-based values.

Approximately one in four people in the global workforce are employed by agriculture. Farmers and their employees have been integral to sustaining the global human population and will be an important part of transforming the food system. However, meat industry consolidation has reduced competition and profits for many contract animal farmers. KFG supports initiatives that help farmers transition away from animal agriculture toward farming more sustainable and potentially more profitable alternatives including plant-based ingredients and fungi. Our primary goal is to accelerate the work already being done in this area (examples here and here), for instance by establishing a global or regional umbrella organisation that helps existing transition programmes in different countries more effectively encourage and support efforts by farmers to move towards animal-free agriculture. Other ideas in this area could be persuading governments to subside farming transition projects or building new farming transition initiatives in underserved geographic regions or for animal product industries that may currently be neglected.

Global food waste accounts for an estimated 6% of greenhouse gas emissions, which is about a fourth of all food-related emissions. Food waste also accounts for 18 billion farmed animal deaths each year. With the United Nations naming food waste among its Sustainable Development Goals and committing to halving global food waste by 2030 (see goal 12.3), there appears to be political will to address the problem. However, most current efforts focused on food waste emphasise fruits and vegetables rather than animal products. KFG is looking for innovative ideas to address animal product waste among consumers and throughout the supply chain. For example, this could include an initiative to encourage existing campaigns against food waste to prioritise animal products or a programme to persuade food manufacturers, foodservice providers, and consumers to reduce the portion sizes of animal-based products that they offer or purchase.