Transitioning The Farm
Animal agriculture is hard on the environment, but a transfarmation to crop-based cultivation may be on the horizon
Tucked in the back corner of Whittier’s Nixon Plaza, traditional Mexican aromas waft out of a small booth with a sign in vibrant yellow and green that reads “Cena.” This is one of three Cena locations across Los Angeles and Orange County serving authentic street food, something Southern California is known for doing right.
Its expansive menu offers bowls, burritos, tacos, and nachos packed with Mexican spice blends. Recognizable proteins like barbacoa, al pastor, and carne asada offer inviting flavors that keep customers coming back. The twist: it’s all vegan. Rather than using beef and chicken, Cena uses soy and wheat protein blends. Instead of cheese, Cena prepares a rich cashew crema. Cena aims to “celebrate and unify the community,” respecting traditional Mexican culture while promoting a transition to a plant-based lifestyle. It hopes to show that you can eliminate meat from your diet without eliminating flavor from your life.
Cena’s popularity is indicative of the impact plant-based food is having on the greater Los Angeles area. After Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles is the country’s most vegan friendly city, according to WalletHub. The study ranked cities based on 1) affordability, 2) diversity, accessibility & quality and 3) vegetarian lifestyle.
This trend is not confined to a few major cities, though. The Cafe Gratitude blog reported that the plant-based food industry experienced a 43-percent increase in dollar sales across the US from 2018 to 2020. That’s 2.5 times the growth rate of the overall food market. With 50 percent of all U.S. restaurants serving vegan options, and 7.9 million Americans identifying as plant-based today, it’s a growing market.
For some, veganism is the newest addition to a long list of short-lived dietary trends. For others, it’s part of a larger movement: the fight against climate change. While choosing to eat at Cena instead of Taco Bell may seem inconsequential (if more expensive) it represents a growing consumer shift away from animal agriculture.
Focusing on growing plants rather than livestock has significant environmental benefits. In general, animal agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (GHGs) per acre and requires more land and water than crop farming. Animal agriculture alone is responsible for 14.5 percent of annual GHG emissions. These emissions are caused primarily by methane and nitrous oxide, which are 300 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. A 2018 study reported in Nature uncovered that the GHG emissions created by all crops combined amounts to just 25 percent of environmental pressure created by our agriculture practices; the other 75 percent is caused by animal products.
Cow farming is by far the most environmentally damaging form of agriculture. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimated that the volume of water required to produce one burger could satisfy three people’s thirst for an entire year. Additionally, one kilogram of beef produces the same emissions as driving a medium sized car 62 miles.
By contrast, soy production uses just 10 percent of the water required for beef production. One kilo of tofu, a soy product, uses 665 gallons of water and contains 99–121 grams of protein, according to UCLA’ Sustainability. This translates to six gallons of water use per gram of protein. Beef, on the other hand, requires 20–22 gallons of water per gram of protein.
Just like different animal products impact the environment differently, not all plants are grown equally. Nuts such as almonds and cashews require upwards of 1,000 gallons of water per kilo. Additionally, 53 percent of U.S. irrigated land (designed for farming) is used for just three crops: corn, soybeans, and wheat. Maintaining this land requires substantial resources and water use. On the other side of the water spectrum, crops such as tomatoes, squash, and melons are drought-resistant and absorb water from the soil, making them relatively environmentally friendly and easy to maintain.
In terms of emissions, mushroom cultivation produces 3kg CO2/kg, and cashews produce 4.99kg CO2/kg, which is comparable to the 4.1kg CO2/kg generated by chicken, the “greenest” meat. However, most other crops, such as microgreens, lentils, wheat, onions, and tomatoes, produce less than 1kg CO2/kg, making them much “greener” than any animal product.
Crop farming can also be more efficient from an economic standpoint. A study by the Humane Party — an animal rights organization — found that despite using 69 percent as much land as animal agriculture, crops generate 512 percent more pounds of product. Despite producing significantly more product, the expenses associated with plant-based agriculture are only 75 percent as costly as those associated with animal agriculture. Plant-based agriculture has a greater production value, using less land, a lower cost and greater profit.
Minimizing costs is crucial for small farms struggling to compete with the large-scale factory farms that dominate the American economy. Many local farmers are trapped in contracts with the “Big Ag” industry and drown in debt. For example, Texan Bo Halley struggled for years to pay off a large loan on his poultry farm. The chickens his family sold were not reaping substantial profits, and by the time they were close to paying off their initial loan, they were faced with additional charges imposed by their corporate contract.
The Halley family is one of the case studies highlighted by The Transfarmation Project. Evan Penhasi, who helped transition the farm, notes in a testimonial on the project’s website that, “the [poultry] business was not something that made financial sense.” The late Bo Halley and his family looked for a long-term, viable business “that doesn’t include animal suffering.” Eventually, they escaped the “debt treadmill” of constant loan payoffs, and now grow hemp, using repurposed chicken houses for storage.
The Halley family is not alone in their desire to escape the Big Ag industry. To assist farmers in their journeys, Mercy For Animals started The Transfarmation Project. Transfarmation’s mission is “to build collective power sufficient to realize a just and sustainable food system,” according to their website. Transfarmation is one of many organizations committed to “livestock transition farming,” a growing movement offering alternatives to factory farms.
Since its inception, more than 100 farmers have expressed interest in Transfarmation. The nonprofit currently assists nine farms in growing consumption crops on their own terms, rather than contract-farming animals. Of these, seven are considered “transfarmed,” meaning they are committed to plant-based agriculture and have pledged never to return to factory farming.
Each project operates in three phases. Farmers looking to make a change first contact Transfarmation, communicating their needs and desires. Then, the organization assesses the farm in question and works with the farmer to determine their best path forward. Finally, Transfarmation works alongside farmers to create transition paths to exit out of factory farming and grow specialty crops instead. Because each case is unique, there is no one way to transition these farms, but there is a consistent commitment to protect small farms and the environment in tandem.
The conditions set by industries like Tyson are “just really inhumane,” according to Paula Boles. Chicken sheds on the Boles farm were packed “wall to wall and door to door.”
Transfarmation works with farmers around the country. The company has multiple cases in progress in North Carolina, a state with a high concentration of industrial and factory farms generating animal waste. Manure and feces are a top contributor to the agriculture industry’s GHG emissions. Factory farms produce “lagoons of feces’’ that pool up and leak into nearby land, according to Megan Hunter, Transfarmation’s Midwest Coordinator. They also spray excess feces on crops when these lagoons reach capacity, which not only pollutes the land and air, but “spreads micro-droplets through the air linked to respiratory illness.”
Seeking freedom from the factory farm behemoth in North Carolina, the Boles Farm transitioned from a chicken farm to growing microgreens, peppers, and flowers. Paula and Dale Boles inherited the poultry business from Dale’s father, and worked with Tyson Foods to raise broiler chickens. In a Sentient Media article, the pair revealed they were promised “easy money” by Tyson, but “found themselves spiraling into debt,” putting a strain on not just their pockets, but their mental health and marriage.
Once they are in a contract, farmers cede control of how their animals are raised and fed. The conditions set by large food processing companies such as Tyson are “just really inhumane,” according to Paula. Chicken sheds on the Boles farm were packed “wall to wall and door to door.” Managing a farm with such strict requirements and imposing poor living conditions on animals placed unnecessary stress on the Boles family, and they were eager to escape. With the help of Transfarmation, the pair has been able to repair their mental health and reduce their environmental footprint along the way.
Because growing crops requires a completely different farming style and skill set from livestock, the transition can be daunting, especially if resources are not available. Beyond curbing a farm’s emissions, Transformation is working to incorporate sustainable growing practices that will generate long-term profits at a lower environmental cost.
In North Carolina, the team “turned a chicken house into a greenhouse” and “reworked the feed and water system to grow crops,” Hunter said. A former dairy farmer in Indiana is “using nursing and welding skills” to transform into a mushroom growing operation. Mushrooms have a high return on investment compared to other crops, which is why several farmers transitioning away from livestock are drawn toward mushroom cultivation
Transfarmation works with farmers every step of the way and ensures they have the tools necessary to thrive. “We connect farmers to existing resources, such as technical consultants, to help them build the technical skills specific to growing their new crops,” Hunter noted. Successful pathways and useful resources are uploaded to a farmer toolkit for fellow farms-in-transition to access.
“Rural communities, especially communities of color, face degradation of their land, water, and air.”
Transfarmation exemplifies “the possibility of farm transitions” by promoting “farmer-led working to build a more just and sustainable food system.” The nonprofit “aims to shift the false narrative that factory farms are good for rural communities and consumers,” Hunter added. “Rural communities, especially communities of color, face degradation of their land, water, and air.”
Transfarmation’s demonstration hubs assess the impact of a specific farm transition and build upon existing information. Aware they don’t have all the answers, the organization is eager to expand their knowledge on these contentious issues.
While animal agriculture has definite drawbacks, there are certain barriers preventing society from making the plant-based switch. For instance, many fast food companies, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, McDonalds, and Taco Bell, provide affordable meal options for low-income households and have become a staple of the American diet.
Their menus are primarily meat, supplying low-income families with an animal-heavy diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery are rising in price, especially organic items, which deters many families from selecting a healthier option. A Big Mac from McDonald’s averages $4.00 per burger, which is the same price as a small carton of organic blueberries at Ralph’s. A plate of tacos at Cena Vegan costs $12, while some local taco stands offer non-vegan tacos for $1 each. To properly reduce the impact of the animal agriculture industry, there must be an affordable alternative for consumers.
By 2030, the plant-based food industry is expected to be worth $85 billion.
The reality is this: no one is getting rid of the meat industry tomorrow. Society and culture need time to adjust. With help of companies such as Transfarmation, high-income countries like the US can shift away from unsustainable farming practices and lay the groundwork for a sustainable tomorrow.
Transfarmation is not alone in this mission. On the federal level, the Farm System Reform Act was put forth by Cory Booker in 2020 to fund farmers’ transition away from animal agriculture. The Rancher Advocacy Program and Rowdy Girl Sanctuary are organizations that work with individual farms in transition, adjusting their process by location and need. Each state is different in terms of climate, economy, and industry, so what works in California may not work in West Virginia.
For California, livestock transition farming is one way to reduce water use during an ever-looming cycles of drought. California is currently home to 62,900 farms spanning 23,800,000 acres, as reported by the 2023 State Agricultural Overview. It is the nation’s leading dairy producer, generating 40.9 billion pounds of milk last year and bringing in $8.1 billion in revenue. Around eight million heads of cattle were counted in 2023, including those raised for milk, along with 6.8 million other livestock animals. Transitioning toward non water-intensive crops would allow agricultural water supply to be distributed toward other resources or reserved for future emergencies.
California’s economy, or the nation’s as a whole, will continue to rely on animal agriculture as long as consumers keep eating meat, eggs, and dairy. As more Californians choose to eat at Cena Vegan and other plant-based establishments, the power of the meat industry will diminish. Because consumers control demand for resources, reducing meat consumption is a small step toward fighting the environmental footprint of the animal agriculture industry. A 2019 study found that if the US shifted to plant-based agriculture, food-related GHGs could be reduced by ~49% and farmland by ~76%. By 2030, the plant-based food industry is expected to be worth $85 billion.
While making a major shift in your diet may seem daunting, a future of plant-based tacos isn’t too bad. Cena’s popularity — and the growth of vegan restaurants like them — is a strong indicator of that. Options for vegans are expanding in supermarkets, providing more choices for consumers. Brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are making their way onto fast food menus and into consumers’ stomachs. Next time you have the choice between an “Impossible” Whopper and one made with beef, consider the plant-based option.
