Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry

'An animal activist's journey to the "other side"' Joanna Lumley This is the story of what happens when we cross enemy lines to look for solutions. Leah Garcés has dedicated her career to fighting for the rights of the animals that end up on our plates. As the former US Executive Director of Compassion in World Farming and the current President of the non-profit group Mercy for Animals, she has led the fight against the sprawling chicken industry that raises billions of birds in cruel conditions – all to satisfy our appetite for meat. Grilled is Leah's story of working alongside the food and farming industry for animal welfare and ethical food. Instead of fighting and protesting and shaming – approaches that simply haven't worked previously – Garcés has instead tried to find common ground with producers. She has worked alongside owners of the megafarms, befriending them, having frank conversations with them, and ultimately encouraging change through dialogue and discussion. Leah is helping to directly improve the lives of millions of farm animals, and pushing alternatives such as plant-based substitutes and lab-grown meats to the top of the agenda, with some of the mega-farm conglomerates joining forces with her to explore these avenues. When she started her journey, Leah Garcés did not have much empathy to spare for the contract chicken farmer –until she actually met one and tried to understand the difficulties they faced. This is the story of giving in to discomfort for the sake of progress. It's a story of the power of human connection, and what happens when we practice empathy toward our enemies.

About the Author :
Leah Garcés was the founder and Executive Director of Compassion in World Farming US and is now the President of Mercy for Animals. She has degrees in zoology and sustainable development and has been fighting for better food and farming systems for her whole career.

Review :
An animal activist’s journey to the 'other side' - the chicken industry - proves that making friends out of foes is one of the bravest, hardest, and most effective ways to create change. As an animal-welfare activist, Leah Garces could have gone her entire career without speaking to a meat executive or a livestock farmer. Instead, she chose to seek them out, and the conversations she had not only changed her life — they altered the course of an industry. At a moment when every disagreement feels like a death-match and every opponent has to be an enemy, her searching, honest memoir shows us that a different path is possible. This is a book about the power we all have to transform the world when we approach our enemies with an open mind and a compassionate heart. Its message could not be more timely or relevant! A crucial road map for any activist trying to make real change in the world. This book will change the way you see chicken––and our entire food system. Garcés's determination to reform one of the world's largest industries is nothing short of astounding. She is a force! In this book and in life, Leah Garcés, a fellow vegan, transcends the dogma and single issue thinking that too often constrains the animal protection community. Her writing and her work combine a fighting spirit with a will to unite and move unlikely allies like farmers, farm workers, and even corporations. I’m proud to call her a friend and an ally in the movement for a truly regenerative and sustainable future where all animal lives are respected and allowed to live and thrive. The world needs to read Grilled and heed its important message! Grilled is absorbing, intriguing, and moving. It will open your eyes and heart to the plight of animals at the center of the American food system.