Last week, Billie Eilish told her fans to “be smarter” about the diet they choose to eat via Instagram. The singer, who has over 31 million followers on the social media platform, shared a heinous video depicting animal cruelty from Fair Oaks Farms.
The video was obtained by the Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) during an undercover investigation of Fair Oaks, a company that works with Coca-Cola to produce the Fairlife dairy brand. According to VegNews, Fairlife bills itself as a company that treats its animals humanely. The graphic video, which we have chosen to leave out of this story, proves otherwise.
“I keep my mouth shut most of the time about this because I believe everyone should do eat and say whatever they want … and I don’t feel the need to shove what I believe in, in anyone’s face,” Eilish wrote earlier this month in an Instagram Story in which she shared the ARM video. “But man … if you can watch the videos that I just posted and not give a fuck that it’s you contributing by literally eating the creatures that are being fully tortured just for your pleasure, I feel sorry for you.”
“I understand that meat tastes good … and I know you think you’re just one person and it won’t change anything if you stop but that’s ignorant and stupid,” she continued. “If you have half a brain, you should know ‘one person’ adds up. Be smarter.”
Between February and April of 2019, an ARM private investigator was hired as a milker at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. The cruelty the Fairlife dairy cows are subjected to on a daily basis, which was recorded by the undercover investigator via photos and videos, is incredibly troublesome.
Per the June 2019 report, employees were observed punching, poking, stabbing, shoving, and hitting the dairy cows, and using the milking claws to hit cows in the udders. If cows were being uncooperative in the milking line, their tails would be broken as punishment.
Furthermore, calfs were also horribly mistreated. They were recorded being thrown, punched, and pushed by Fair Oaks employees.
And if cows were too sick to produce milk, or were simply too old, the workers informed the investigator that they would be slaughtered to make McDonald’s Big Macs or to be used in dog food.
After the report was released in June, Fairlife release a statement sharing that the company hired a third-party auditor, Food Safety Net Services Certification and Audit, who has reportedly verified that “all of the farms’ employees have committed to our zero tolerance policy on animal abuse.”
“Violation of this policy results in termination of any employee who has abused an animal on one occasion and, if appropriate, leads to an investigation by law enforcement,” the statement continues. Furthermore, Fairlife states that they have and will continue to strive to keep their cows “healthy and well-cared for.”
And according to the “Cow Care” statement, last updated on July 5th, Fairlife has discontinued the use of milk from Fair Oaks Farms. Those Fair Oaks employees seen in the videos have also been terminated and charged with animal cruelty.
More information about the audit will be published on July 21st. You can read the full ARM report, as well as take a look at the photos and videos from the undercover sting, right here.
As Eilish, a devoted vegan, told her followers, it’s important that we educate ourself on where our food comes from. Although a company may say they treat their animals humanely, it’s so easy for them to hide the truth.
After posting the above apologetic statements to their social media accounts, Fairlife has gone quiet.
As Today reported, retailers including Jewel-Osco, Tony’s Fresh Market, Casey’s and Family Express have stopped selling Fairlife products.
Yesterday’s protest outside of @CocaCola headquarters in #Atlanta urging them to drop @Fairlife milk products following @ARMInvestigatio’s undercover exposé of horrific #calf abuse. 🚫🐄 #DitchDairy #ChooseCompassion
— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) June 17, 2019
🌍👉 @WorldAnimalNews @Peace_4_Animals pic.twitter.com/NVtZVb4Jfb
In fact, ARM reports that since their investigation went viral, Fair Oaks, Fairlife, and Coca-Cola have all gone silent on social media.
“This is an immediate impact from consumers and the public pressure who have been instrumental in using their voices to empower change, and ultimately bring forth justice for the animals of the dairy industry,” the organization wrote in a July 18th Instagram post.
Although we can’t force our friends and family into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, we can urge them to learn more about the industries they’re literally feeding into. ARM, PETA, and other animal advocacy organizations are great resources to learn the facts the meat and dairy industries don’t want consumers to know.
Take Eilish’s advice and put stock into where your food comes from. Choose brands wisely and do your research before you buy.
You doing just that gives those animals at the center of the storm a fighting chance.
