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https://farmusa.org/

FARM Animal Rights Movement is the world’s first and longest-operating organization dedicated to advocacy for animals raised, abused, and killed for food. Co-founded by chemist, environmental consultant, social justice organizer, and Holocaust survivor Dr. Alex Hershaft, FARM’s roots were planted nearly 40 years ago

In 1976, Dr. Hershaft founded the Vegetarian Information Service to disseminate information on the benefits of plant-based eating on consumer health, animal protection, and environmental integrity. VIS participated in the hearings before the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, leading to the periodic publication of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and testified before Congress in favor of the 1978 National Consumer Nutrition Information Act.

Peter Singer’s landmark book Animal Liberation was published in 1975, influencing a number of grassroots animal rights activists who had no national outlet through which to channel their passion into action. After Dr. Hershaft’s vegetarian conferences were repeatedly inundated with concerns about the lack of a guiding animal rights ethic, in 1981 he invited seasoned leaders of the established vegetarian movement as well as animal rights advocates to the first Action for Life conference.

Action for Life effectively launched the U.S. animal rights movement, with participants including pioneers such as Cleveland Amory, Ingrid Newkirk, Alex Pacheco, Peter Singer, Henry Spira, Gretchen Wyler, as well as radio host Thom Hartmann. Immediately afterward, important organizations including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were formed or formalized, and the Vegetarian Information Service became Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM) by embracing veganism and the right of animals not to be used for food