Eating meat is such an everyday thing for most people that discussions about on animal protection are pretty rare or almost nonexisten. A lot of farmed animals are raised inhumanely and treated not as living things but as mere commodities. In this episode, Corinna Bellizzi chats with AJ Albrecht, Managing Director of Mercy for Animals, an organization that aims to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a sustainable food system. She talks about the dangers of factory farming to animals, the need for more organic food choices, and the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. AJ also shares their efforts to pass a bill that shifts the responsibility of the broken food system from everyday consumers to major corporations profiting from factory farming.About Guest:AJ Albrecht is the Managing Director of Mercy For Animals in the United States and Canada. She joined Mercy For Animals in 2019 as the organization’s first U.S. government affairs team member, where she built and led the government affairs and public policy team for three years before stepping into her current role. A licensed attorney, AJ is the immediate past chair of the American Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, a past chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, and the founder of the East Orange Animal Alliance. AJ is a frequent speaker on animal advocacy issues and has published on topics relating to our food system, farmed animals, and animal law.Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreajoyalbrecht/ Guest Website: https://mercyforanimals.org Guest Social: https://www.instagram.com/mercyforanimals/, https://www.facebook.com/mercyforanimals, https://twitter.com/mercyforanimals, https://www.pinterest.com/mercyforanimals/, https://www.youtube.com/mercyforanimals Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction06:30 - Impact of industrial farming08:33 - Adopting a plant-based diet13:02 - Bird flu epidemic and water crisis22:56 - Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act26:56 - Incrementalism and improving food choices33:13 - Searching for better food options40:44 - Transfarmation43:13 - Impossible burgers46:45 - Is animal protection a worthy cause?52:08 - Closing WordsLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review, & share! https://caremorebebetter.com Follow us on social and join the conversation! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CareMore.BeBetter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better Twitter: https://twitter.com/caremorebebetter Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/care-more-be-better Support Care More. Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability PodcastCare More Be Better answers only to our collective conscience and aims to put more good into the world. As a listener, reader, and subscriber you are part of this pod and this community and we are honored to have your support. If you can, please help finance the show: https://caremorebebetter.com/donate.