“Take Extinction off Your Plate”: How International Environmental Campaigns Connect Food, Farming, and Fishing to Wildlife Extinction

Abstract

ABSTRACT The link between current dietary patterns and their adverse impact on the environment is well established. Thus, previous studies have raised concerns that environmental social movement organizations, as social change entrepreneurs, often fail to adequately make food an issue, especially animal-based foods, nor strongly advocate needed solutions, including shifting to plant-based diets. Building upon this, but specifically addressing the biodiversity crisis through a critical animal studies lens, we examine how seven international conservation organizations connect wildlife issues to human food production and consumption. Through a collective action framing analysis of social movement websites, we ascertain in what ways and to what extent these conservation organizations (1) recognize dietary choices, farming, and fishing as drivers of species loss and harm to animals, (2) suggest individual consumer solutions and systemic government and industry solutions (both voluntary and legally-mandated), and (3) appeal to motivational values that are not just anthropocentric, but also ecocentric and biocentric (showing concern for the welfare and rights of individual animals, human and nonhuman). We make strategic recommendations for including biocentric and interspecies justice perspectives in food advocacy messaging of conservation organizations to help stem the tide of mass extinction while cultivating greater respect for all types of animals.