Animal Law Conference

The Center for Animal Law Studies joined the Animal Legal Defense Fund to co-present the 32nd annual Animal Law Conference in Portland. Over 500 attended the weekend event, with session topics that included the role of political advocacy in an election year, the future of laboratory animal legislation, and the intersection of land use and farmed animal protection, among others.

Ethan Brown, founder, president, and CEO of Beyond Meat, gave the final evening’s keynote address, speaking about the role of innovation in transforming our relationship with animals. His company, he said, “aspires to contribute powerfully to the restoration of nature, human health, and the stabilization of our climate.”

“As I reflect on what was lost to gain today’s food system,” he said, “I cannot help but consider large scale industrial agriculture as a sweeping, wildly successful, and enduring physical and intellectual legacy of colonialism.”

His message resonated deeply in a room full of advocates working toward systemic change, with whom he said he felt at home. “You guys are abolitionists and I know that history will record you as such,” he said. “In my world view, that is one of the greatest honors.”