Essays & Analysis Archive
This is an archive of Stray Dog Institute’s blog posts published between 2021-2023. Authored by Stray Dog Institute and, at times, guest authors, these essays articulate Stray Dog Institute’s perspectives on key issues shaping food system transformation and farmed animal advocacy.
Since 2024, our research has focused on larger, movement-serving projects such as the State of the Movement. We continue to share this earlier work because it offers context, insights, and analysis that remain relevant to ongoing conversations about food systems transformation, animal advocacy, philanthropy, and more. Please note that the information in these essays is not regularly updated.
Research Report: Alt Protein for Good
Our newest research report, Alt Protein for Good: Plant-Based Alternative Protein in the United States outlines ways to build momentum for inclusive food system change and ensure the broadest and deepest benefits from alternative proteins.
Decolonizing the North American Food System
European colonization of North America normalized intensive animal farming and transformed Indigenous diets as a tool of cultural erasure. Decolonizing the US food system offers pathways to restorative justice for Indigenous people, while supporting the well-being of animals and the environment.
Salmon Aquaculture is Inefficient and Inequitable
Growing demand for farmed salmon in wealthy nations of the Global North is placing a strain on wild fish populations and local food systems of the Global South.
Food System Transformation Should Embrace Food Justice
The systemic focus of food justice advocacy aligns well with the goals of food system transformation.
The Importance of Viewing Food Access Disparities Systemically
Food access challenges intersect with many other social, economic, and environmental concerns in the food system.
Intensive Agriculture's Impact on the Common Good
Intensive agriculture in the US damages the environment, wastes natural resources, drives climate change, and harms both animals and humans.
Reframing Food Access Disparities as Food Apartheid
Confronting structural racism in the food system means looking beyond "food deserts" and recognizing the systemic roots of food access disparities.
The Growing Movement to Stop CAFOs
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) harm animals, disrupt rural economies, and pollute the environment. Can we secure a future food system free of CAFOs?