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Kenny Torrella

@kennytorrella.bsky.social
7.9K followers 118 following 254 posts

Writing about factory farming and the future of meat at Vox.

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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Vox @vox.com · 15/09/2026
Why even the best aquariums can’t give animals what they need. www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
Three beluga whales just died at one of America’s top-rated aquariums
Why even the best aquariums can’t give animals what they need.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Three beluga whales died over the course of eight days at Shedd Aquarium. Despite its storied reputation, it's a reminder that even top-rated aquariums can't give animals what they need in captivity.
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Vox @vox.com · 10/09/2026
A new analysis of financial documents obtained by Vox found that since the early 2000s, the National Pork Board — which legally can’t use its funds for lobbying — has moved $66 million into the National Pork Producers Council, a lobbying organization. Read more from @kennytorrella.bsky.social:
vox.com
The hidden money fueling the pork industry’s fight to keep pigs in tiny cages
Exclusive: How Big Pork takes money from small farmers — then uses it to lobby against them.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I wrote about what's called the "small body problem," how it accounts for the vast majority of animal suffering in food production, and how small changes to how we eat could slash the number of animals factory-farmed:
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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 09/09/2026
The Trump administration is letting livestock buyers slaughter horses in Canada. The beef industry wants it done here. @kennytorrella.bsky.social reports for @vox.com: buff.ly/zfFPW0b
vox.com
The biggest advocate for slaughtering America’s wild horses might surprise you
The Trump administration is letting livestock buyers slaughter horses in Canada. The beef industry wants it done here.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
You might've heard about the Save Our Bacon Act. Turns out that the main group lobbying for it--Natl. Pork Producers Council--has taken $66M from a farmer fund intended to promote pork, & which legally cannot be used for lobbying. 40% of the $66M hasn't been previously reported. (Gift link below.)
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Vox @vox.com · 12/08/2026
Read more from @kennytorrella.bsky.social:
vox.com
This hamster has a Strava and runs more than you. It’s not as cute as it sounds.
What Mollie reveals about the hidden misery of small pets.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Drones have become an incredibly powerful tool to expose animal cruelty. But a new Trump administration rule could make it much harder to fly them over farms.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Organic farms are legally required to treat animals better. But a new @mercyforanimals.org nimals investigation into a Costco organic chicken supplier revealed extreme abuse and neglect, along with flouting nearly all of the main organic welfare rules. (Gift link below)
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Nina B. Elkadi @ninaelkadi.com · 19/07/2026
Good morning from Turin, Iowa, RAGBRAI Day 1. Out today in Politico Magazine, @tomphilpott.bsky.social and I collabed to report a profile of Chris Jones, a Democrat running for secretary of agriculture in Iowa.
politico.com
‘Cancer Doesn't Care What Party You Belong To’: Poisoned Water Is Turning This Rural State Bluer
Democrats see an opening in rural states for the first time in decades. In Iowa, it’s about water.
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Tamar Haspel @tamarhaspel.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Growing corn for ethanol: 👍 Putting solar on that land for 30x the energy: 👎 It's bonkers. In @canarymedia.com www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
canarymedia.com
In Ohio, solar is no big threat to farmland
Fears over farmland loss have fueled arguments against renewables in Ohio — but golf courses and suburban sprawl take up far more acreage than solar does.
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Marina Bolotnikova @mbolotnikova.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
It is hardly news that the noisy correlation-based data on ultra-processed foods is very low-quality, but it turns out that the UPF randomized controlled trials probably don't offer strong evidence of the harms of "ultra-processing," either. Gift link: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
The evidence against “ultra-processed” foods is weaker than you think
New analysis suggests other factors may explain the harms blamed on “ultra-processing”
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Vox @vox.com · 02/07/2026
The pork industry routinely confines pregnant pigs in tiny enclosures called gestation crates. The practice has drawn bipartisan opposition, with lawmakers from both parties pushing back against the Save Our Bacon Act — a bill that would override state laws banning the crates.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Far-right commentators, New York Times columnists, deep red Republicans, blue state liberals: They’re all opposed to keeping pigs in tiny cages. It’s been quite incredible to see the political unity in opposition to the Save Our Bacon Act, so I wrote about it:
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Coverage of Gracie, the escaped giraffe in Texas, has focused on efforts to find her. But I wanted to know: Why is an endangered species in Texas at all? Turns out, the ranch she escaped breeds them for pets/zoos, and lots of other species for canned hunts.
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Zach Boren @zdboren.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
A first exclusive for my new venture GRILLED the EU is looking to change how it measures livestock emissions the meat industry has been pushing for metrics that say livestock farms cause 'no additional warming' even as they continue to emit methane grilledmedia.substack.com/p/leak-eu-lo...
grilledmedia.substack.com
Leak: EU looks to change how livestock climate emissions are measured
The draft Sustainable Livestock Strategy also calls for 'flexibilities' on water pollution rules
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
When reporting on animals, there are always new horrors to discover. Today's is mouse and rat factory farming, which is done to feed pet snakes and zoo snakes. And it's probably way, way bigger (and worse) than you'd think.
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Interesting the Star Tribune published a LTE parroting the big pork companies' position to overturn California's basic animal welfare law - but didn't identify the author as VP at the National Pork Producers Council. He's been this in papers around the country - www.startribune.com/readers-writ...
startribune.com
Readers Write: America’s future, elections, the farm bill, biking
We need a convention.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
In 2019, Animal Outlook uncovered horrible abuse at a salmon hatchery in Maine. The company said sorry & promised reforms (which satisfied Maine officials). Animal Outlook returned in 2025 and found even worse abuse. This has happened over & over again w/the biggest meat co's.
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Will Potter @willpotter.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Factory farming depends on secrecy enforced by criminalizing journalism and whistleblowing. And now the industry is even trying to overturn state reforms overwhelmingly approved by voters. Thanks to Kenny Torrella at Vox for chatting with me about my book! willpotter.com/littleredbarns
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Zach Boren @zdboren.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
In 2015 there were 70 dairy farms in the UK where the cows can't go outside, now there's 180 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Huge rise in factory-style dairy farming of ‘battery cows’ in UK as costs rise
Investigation finds number of dairy farms where cows cannot go outside has more than doubled since 2015
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Zach Boren @zdboren.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
the VP of the National Pork Producers Council has been publishing op-eds defending the 'Save Our Bacon Act' without consistently disclosing his industry role. the bill would override state animal welfare laws good spot by @thenewlede.bsky.social www.thenewlede.org/2026/05/pork...
thenewlede.org
Pork lobbyist helping lead “nonpartisan” group working against state animal welfare laws
The Carver Center for Agriculture & Nutrition's op-eds and analyses papers fail to mention that its chairman, Andy Curliss, is also the vice president of strategic engagement for the National Pork Pro...
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
NPR @npr.org · 18/05/2026
The fiber craze is pushing more people into the broad world of beans, as the U.S. bean industry looks to double American consumption of pulses by 2030. n.pr/43emFP7
n.pr
They've got fiber. They're cheap. They're … cool? Behind the 'renaissance' of beans
The fiber craze is pushing more people into the broad world of beans, as the U.S. bean industry looks to double American consumption of pulses by 2030.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
These two charts drove me kind of crazy for a few weeks so I wrote about what might explain them. (Gift link below.)
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Famous animal welfare scientist Donald Broom said that confining pigs in gestation crates is “much worse than severely beating an animal.” So it says a lot that some meat industry groups, pork companies, and members of Congress are fighting to defend the practice. New story:
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Jenny Splitter @jennysplitter.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Yesss @kennytorrella.bsky.social !! "Eilish’s argument was clearly directed at the average American consumer who eats dozens of factory-farmed animals each year, not a small group of Indigenous peoples for whom hunting such animals is a core part of their identity..." www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
The backlash to Billie Eilish’s vegan comments explains a lot about the American left (and everyone else)
Why are American leftists so reluctant to confront the meat industry?
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Why are so many on the left hostile to veganism and animal rights? For you Bsky dwellers, this question blew up last week on X after Billie Eilish made some comments on the matter. My thoughts here:
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
This was one of the hardest stories to write. When people fail to spay/neuter, or buy a dog instead of adopting, the animals pay the price — and so do shelter workers and animal control officers. Performing euthanasia, responding to cruelty cases, & more, is a huge burden.
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Vox @vox.com · 29/04/2026
As animal shelters in the US become overcrowded, it’s not just the pets that suffer. Animal control and animal shelter workers bear an enormous amount of stress, collectively euthanizing about 600,000 animals each year. Vox’s @kennytorrella.bsky.social explains how you can help.
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Vox @vox.com · 22/04/2026
Meat and dairy production is wreaking havoc on our environment as a leading cause of global deforestation and habitat loss. Want to help this Earth Day? Start by eating a more plant-based diet. @kennytorrella.bsky.social explains why it makes a difference.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Polls show that people really underestimate meat's wide-ranging environmental impact. So here are some charts I've made over the years that show just had bad meat is for the planet. Let's start with efficiency:
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Tamar Haspel @tamarhaspel.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The focus on artificial colors in food is a huge gift to industry. They can just continue selling the crap food that makes them money, and just tinker around the edges. www.generalmills.com/news/press-r...
generalmills.com
Lucky Charms and Trix Bring Bold Flavors to the Breakfast Table Through New Cereals Made with Colors from Natural Sources - General Mills
General Mills introduces Lucky Charms Unicorn Cotton Candy and Tropical Trix featuring Disney’s Moana cereals, available nationwide this summer.
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Dr. Sarah A Lacy @professorlacy.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
The connection between masculinity and meat-eating in our culture is likely what fueled some of the very negative reactions on the internet to the idea that ::gasp:: women hunted too! (and I'm quoted!)
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Reposted by Kenny Torrella
Vox @vox.com · 31/03/2026
Despite what internet trolls might say, eating plant-based protein does not make you any less “manly.” Eating soy foods doesn’t change men’s hormonal makeup, and it’s well-established that soy products are not only safe to eat but also confer a number of health benefits.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
A few months ago, nutrition and fitness influencer Jacob Smith talked up the benefits of tofu and... some guys totally lost it. How did meat become a measure of manhood for a lot of men, and what can be done to separate meat from masculinity?
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Some follow up thoughts on Talarico. I wrote my piece in a couple hours and missed what I now think is really the lesson to be learned from it all.
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Jan Dutkiewicz @jandutkiewicz.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I wrote about James Talarico's blasphemy against meat and barbeque revival on the Texas campaign trail. newrepublic.com/article/2080...
newrepublic.com
What the James Talarico Vegan Story Reveals About U.S. Politics
Centuries ago, Thomas Paine envisioned a country free of arbitrary rule—both from monarchy and religion. Today, both religious and secular dogma still curtail what can be said on the campaign trail.
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Marina Bolotnikova @mbolotnikova.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Finally wrote about this mbolotnikova.substack.com/p/ridglan-ma...
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Marina Bolotnikova @mbolotnikova.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
I have never written one of these Substack things before but will be out with a debut piece soon (about the mass beagle rescue in Wisconsin, of course) - pls sign up here to get it!! (this is free, so skip anything that asks you to pay for it!) mbolotnikova.substack.com/subscribe
mbolotnikova.substack.com
Subscribe to Marina Bolotnikova
Click to read Marina Bolotnikova, a Substack with hundreds of subscribers.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Sure, Talarico’s “no meat” campaign policy was bad politics in TX. But the reaction exposed how many politicians & pundits are unable to defend factory farming and thus resort to name calling. (And plus, not everyone in TX subscribes to its meaty identity). My quick take:
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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 19/03/2026
What do people really think about plant-based dairy? @kennytorrella.bsky.social reports for @vox.com:
buff.ly
What a massive blind taste test of vegan milk, cheese, and ice cream found — explained in one chart
What people really think about plant-based dairy.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
What do people *really* think about plant-based milk, cheese, and ice cream? See the results of this new massive blind taste test.
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Jan Dutkiewicz @jandutkiewicz.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
the path to a better and more sustainable food system runs through a robust, well-funded regulatory state that is not afraid of political battles with farmers and agribusiness.
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Julian A Nowogrodzki @plantnerd.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
In California: 10 million tons of manure unaccounted for - One farm reported producing <1% the manure expected given how many cows it has - One in Santa Ana has 570 dairy cows and reported -- wait for it -- no manure at all @sentientmedia.org sentientmedia.org/ten-million-...
sentientmedia.org
Ten Million Tons of Manure In California Are Unaccounted for, New Report Shows
Stanford researchers found serious loopholes in factory farm regulation — and it’s not just in California.
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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
It’s the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since workers walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985 - apnews.com/article/meat...
apnews.com
3,800 workers are on strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the US
About 3,800 workers are striking at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants. Union representatives in Colorado say it's the first strike at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s.
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Marina Bolotnikova @mbolotnikova.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Join me for an ~Ask Me Anything~ about this story on the extreme confinement of dairy calves: Americans ditched veal, but what replaced it is just as bad On the r/iama subreddit, TODAY! at 12pm ET!! reddit.com/r/IAmA/
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
It's true, the globalist elites kind of did want us (and livestock) to eat bugs. But that's unlikely to happen. Shuttered insect farming companies now account for almost half of all $ invested into the space
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Despite hundreds of the biggest food companies pledging to go cage-free by 2025, the share of cage-free egg stands at 48%. Why? Blame grocery stores.
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Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
DID YOU KNOW that emissions from manure management in the U.S. are likely even higher than official EPA estimates? A thread about 💩 1/
wri.org
Promising Technologies Need a Bigger Push to Cut Manure Emissions in the US
Livestock manure contributes over 1% of the United States' total GHG emissions. Promising solutions to curb the potent gas need more support and funding.
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