Big Ag: Basics and Breakthroughs—Environmental and Climate Impacts

Register here to join us for the second of three virtual events in our spring CultureShift Conversations series! http://bit.ly/bigag2

Date: Thursday, May 13th, 5 to 6:15 p.m. PT / 8 to 9:15 p.m. ET

The theme of our spring series is Big Ag: Basics and Breakthroughs. For our second conversation in the series, FFAC's Executive Director, Monica Chen, will be sitting down with Matthew Hayek to discuss the Environmental and Climate impacts of industrial animal agriculture.

Guest Bio: Matthew Hayek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at NYU. He received his PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Prior to that, he received his bachelor's in Physics from Wesleyan University.

Hayek's research quantifies the environmental impacts of our food system, with a specific focus on greenhouse gas emissions and contributions to climate change. He has previously published in the areas of atmospheric physics, forest terrestrial ecology, and agricultural management. His most recent paper concerns the relative impacts of grass-fed vs. conventional beef production on methane emissions and land use in the US. His current project analyzes the land use requirements of food production more broadly, examining regional and global opportunities for reforestation and negative carbon emissions entailed by shifting toward more efficient consumption patterns and production systems.

Prior to joining NYU, Hayek was a postdoctoral science and policy researcher at Harvard Law School in the Animal Law and Policy Program. He has previously taught courses on earth system fluid mechanics and global change biology.

What Do We Mean By CultureShift?

FFAC catalyzes fundamental change by educating individuals and institutions about the consequences of our current food system—to humans, animals other than humans, and the planet, and by empowering them to work towards a society that values equity and sustainability.

What is the format?

These will be virtual community events held meeting-style over Zoom. All attendees are invited to keep their videos on, and participate in the post-interview discussion portion of the event. The first half-hour will be a recorded interview between FFAC staff and the guest speaker. During the second half-hour, the guest will answer your questions live. Following the hour, there will be an optional 15 minute breakout room session to debrief and connect with community members working to end factory farming.