Xander deVries

As the climate crisis intensifies, activists are turning their attention to industrial animal agriculture, a sector responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. 

Daina Bray, a clinical lecturer at Yale Law School with the Law, Ethics & Animals Program, known as LEAP, and the project manager of the program’s Climate Change and Animal Agriculture Litigation Initiative, or CCAALI, explored how legal and policy tools can reduce the environmental impact of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. The conversation addressed critical issues like methane emissions, advocacy challenges in the U.S., and the role of litigation in spurring reform.

“Litigation is an imperfect tool, but when policymakers are not doing enough, litigation can be an available tool for advocates,” Bray said. “Every effective social movement in this country has a litigation arm. Litigation is not sufficient by itself, but it can be an important part of a larger movement for change.”

Bray noted that climate litigation is now on the rise worldwide, with claimants becoming increasingly creative and achieving more successes. Significant policy voids around the regulation of animal agriculture and its environmental impact, she explained, often pushes advocates to turn to litigation. 

Despite the global attention on methane emissions from oil and gas, animal agriculture remains largely unregulated, even though it accounts for about one-third of human-caused methane emissions, according to Bray. 

She highlighted a recent World Bank report calling for a reallocation of agricultural subsidies that currently favor harmful products like meat and dairy. In agreement with the report, Bray urged that, instead of funding the most damaging products, we should redirect those subsidies to more sustainable, environmentally friendly and healthier alternatives. 

“I feel morally opposed to the cruelty towards animals; however, I recognize that most alternatives are unrealistic and infeasible in a country so ideologically diverse as America,” Jada Washington ’28 said. “It’s easier to move forward with the goal of decreasing climate change through industrial animal agriculture when the population is in agreement with the solution, but in America people cannot even agree on climate change’s existence.”

Bray highlighted Denmark and Taiwan as global leaders in promoting plant-based diets and reducing livestock-related emissions. Denmark’s national plant-based foods action plan, a collaborative effort involving farmers, businesses and the Vegetarian Society, encourages a shift away from livestock-heavy agriculture. Bray called Denmark “an exciting country to watch,” noting that it may soon introduce a tax on livestock emissions, making it the first nation to do so.

Bray stressed the urgency of addressing climate change, warning that the “staggering:” risk of crossing tipping points could trigger irreversible environmental consequences. She emphasized the “critical” importance of taking immediate action to avoid such outcomes. 

Bray also noted the underrepresentation of animal agriculture in the broader climate conversation, arguing that activists must bring more attention to the environmental impacts of this sector.

“One of the issues with industrial animal agriculture is the environmental harm it causes, and Professor Bray has been doing amazing work litigating to address those harms,” said Manav Singh ’25, the co-coordinator of speaker events for Plant Forward Yalies. “We thought this was a great person for students to be introduced to, to learn about her work and see if maybe it’s the kind of thing they would consider.”

Singh also emphasized the inclusivity of Plant Forward Yalies, where members range from non-vegetarians to vegans, all united by a commitment to tackling systemic issues in the food system. 

He encouraged students to explore various ways to solve these challenges, regardless of their academic focus. For example, the student organization runs a semesterly reading group, like a fellowship, where you can learn more about factory farming. 

Looking ahead, Plant Forward Yalies plans to host a variety of events, including an advocacy-focused talk by David Coman-Hidy, a journalism discussion with Kenny Torrella, and social cooking events.

Yale Law School is located at 127 Wall St.

Correction, Oct. 2: This article has been updated to clarify that Bray is a clinical lecturer at the Law School who leads the CCAALI program within LEAP, not LEAP itself.

Correction, Oct. 5: This article has been updated to clarify that Manav Singh ’25 is a co-coordinator of speaker events for Plant Forward Yalies and to correct the spelling of Kenny Torella’s name.