What if compassion wasn’t just about animals, but also about people—and the systems that shape their lives?
This is a story about compassion through food, justice, and rethinking how we care—grounded in the simple truth behind Maslow’s Hierarchy: we can’t thrive until everyone’s basic needs are met.
At Medical Teams International, our donors were often drawn to our mission because we addressed the most urgent human needs—those at the foundation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a framework that outlines five levels of human motivation: from basic survival (like food and safety) to self-actualization (purpose and growth).
That same urgency was what fueled my deep commitment to the work we did. Our humanitarian efforts focused on the base of the pyramid—providing life-saving medical care and nutrition—core elements of safety and physiological well-being.
Years later, I didn’t set out to rethink our food system. My personal journey began quietly—rooted in curiosity, not activism. In the past, I saw conversations about eating less meat or protecting animals as meaningful, but less urgent than addressing human suffering. Through that lens, they seemed further up the pyramid.
But over time, I began to see things differently. As I learned more, I realized that industrial animal agriculture isn’t just about animals—it’s deeply intertwined with human well-being. It affects public health, climate resilience, food equity, and the future of vulnerable communities around the world.
The deeper I looked, the clearer it became: our food system is fundamentally a people issue.
When Food Becomes a Human Issue
We are breeding billions of animals for food—not just at ethical or environmental cost, but at human cost.
The people who live near industrial farms suffer from air and water pollution linked to asthma, cancer, and contaminated drinking water. Countries with limited resources are growing crops to feed livestock destined for wealthier nations, while millions of their own people remain food insecure. And let’s not forget the climate consequences: emissions, deforestation, and biodiversity loss are directly tied to industrial animal agriculture.
And who suffers the most from climate change? The communities with the least ability to adapt. The same communities we fought for at Medical Teams.
What Happens to Compassion on a Hotter Planet?
A recent episode of The Daily from The New York Times, titled A Climate Warning from the Fertile Crescent, painted a sobering picture of how climate change is already devastating lives in Iraq. The country, once known as the Fertile Crescent, is facing extreme heat, crop failures, and forced migration as water becomes increasingly scarce.
The episode closed with a haunting observation: climate change is not only making the world hotter—it’s making it more selfish. As reporter Alissa Rubin put it, “a less stable world, and a more selfish world.” When you’re not the one gasping through 121-degree heat or watching your farmland turn to dust, it’s easy to look away.
A Shift in Perspective
If I have other options—if I can choose what I eat and how I live—then I don’t want to be someone who quietly props up that selfishness. Not when there’s something I can do. This isn’t just about animals. It’s not even just about food. It’s about how our individual choices intersect with collective consequences.
Yes, animal agriculture isn’t the only driver of climate change—but it’s one of the biggest. As Oxford researcher Joseph Poore put it, “Avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth.”
There may be many causes of the crisis, but there is no solution without addressing this one.
What Does Compassion Through Food Look Like?
- Caring about people affected by climate change and pollution
- Supporting fair access to good, nourishing food
- Choosing meals that do less harm—to people, animals, and the planet
- Noticing how our food system connects us all
- Making choices rooted in empathy—for others, not just ourselves
A New Way Forward
Behavior change is hard. Our food system feels immovable because it’s all most of us have ever known.
That’s why Pigs Are Smart exists: not to shame or guilt, but to offer a new path. A space to reimagine compassion through food—not just for animals, but for people, too.
Because when we nourish with intention, we don’t just eat differently.
We live differently.
And in that small, daily act of eating with purpose, we become part of a movement that feeds not just ourselves, but the future we want to see.
Curious where to start?
Explore Eating with Compassion and check out our favorite books and documentaries to inspire your journey. One small shift can spark something big.
