RURAL industry is bracing itself for fallout from a major attack on the livestock production, with vegan activists planning a major rally for Melbourne on Saturday night.
The protest will follow tonight’s release of a new film claiming to be exposing the “dark underbelly of Australian animal agriculture.”
The film titled Dominion is narrated by US actors and activists Joaquin Pheonix and Rooney Mara. It is said to feature footage from hundreds of factory farms and processing facilities.
Documentary writer and editor Chris Delforce said Dominion showed that cruelty within animal agriculture wasn’t about one-offs or rogue operators.
It shows that cruelty is part of their business model, he said.
“That’s why we’re calling on the government to act now and implement a scheme to move farmers away from animal to plant-based agriculture,” Mr Delforce said.
“I have always believed that truth is our greatest asset in the fight against animal abuse. That’s why myself and others have put thousands of hours of into research and investigations to publish this evidence for the world to see.
“There is no way that viewers can see this film and not act by changing their own choices and lifestyles. But that simply isn’t enough. We’re calling on the government to do something about this routine, systemic cruelty now.”
“It’s time for our farmers and government to act instead of keeping their head in the sand about this large-scale abuse. There is a reason why the food industry has predicted plant-based eating to be the biggest trend of 2018.”
Mr Delforce said Dominion had been funded by grants and a crowdfunding campaign. The film contained never-before-seen footage and while there was a focus on animals raised for food, it also covers animals used for entertainment, clothing, research and more, he said.
The film draws heavily on aerial drones and covert cameras to obtain its footage.