The Meatrix II: Revolting – Taking on Factory Farming with a Modern

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What is the Meatrix? It is the lie we tell ourselves about where our
meat and animal products come from.

In an age characterized by mechanization, there is a large gap
between our illusions about where food comes from and the stark
industrial reality of meat production. No longer the dominion of the
suspender-clad farmer, most modern day production of meat and dairy
has changed to accommodate the demands of the corporate bottom line –
profit above all else, meaning human health, our environment, our
society, and animal welfare. While independent family farmers become
an endangered species, children no longer understand where their food
comes from, and corporate forces control food production for the
masses, the obstacles to a just and sustainable food system can seem
insurmountable.

Enter the Meatrix films. In March 2006, The Meatrix II: Revolting
will be released on the Internet, the second chapter of the smash
hit, Webby Award-winning exposé of industrial farming, The Meatrix.
Continuing the fight against these factory farms, the sequel delves
deeper into dairy, exposing the routine use of artificial growth
hormones and antibiotics, as well as the cruel and horrendous
practices found on industrial dairy farms – the places where most of
America’s milk and cheese products come from. With advanced Flash
animation technology, an interactive 360 degree view of a rural
landscape, and an interactive community forum, the next stage of the
Meatrix experience aims to push advocacy even further into new
territory and to bring an even wider audience of consumers into the
sustainable food movement.

In 2003, the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment’s
Sustainable Table project teamed up with Free Range Graphics to take
on this issue. The Meatrix, a short film on factory farming, was
launched on the internet and became a huge success, garnering awards
for advocacy, animation and web design while waking up over 10
million people worldwide to the problems of factory farms and
industrial food production.

Simultaneously spoofing the popular Matrix films while educating
consumers about the evils of factory farming, much of The Meatrix’s
success has been attributed to its combination of humor, parody and
pop culture references. This non-threatening approach redefines the
connotations of the word “activism” and ultimately places the power
to affect change in the hands of consumers. As the first step in a
three-pronged approach, The Meatrix entertains and educates, then
directs viewers to more information and practical yet fun ways to
start living more sustainably. Scheduled for launch along with the
second film, the new and improved website will not only educate
viewers about how to stop factory farms and start supporting small,
local, sustainable farms, but will allow them to participate in an
online forum that cultivates ideas and action.

SustainableTable.org
http://www.sustainabletable.org/home/index.html
is the second step, a site which allows consumers to explore the
issues of both factory farming and sustainable farming in easy to
understand terms, while also providing recipes, book reviews,
educational resources and ways to get people and communities involved
in the sustainable food movement. With regular feature articles, news
and events updates on the ST Blog and forums for guest writers from
the Sustainable movement (coming soon!), Sustainable Table aims to
create a positive arena in which to solve the problems of modern food
production, and stimulate dialogue amongst the many different kinds
of people and perspectives arriving at the threshold of the food
movement.

Thirdly, the ambitious EatWellGuide.org
http://www.eatwellguide.org/
connects consumers with producers through a growing database of
sustainable farms, stores, restaurants, organizations, online
retailers and bed & breakfasts throughout the US and Canada,
searchable by zip code. Listings are detailed and specific, providing
information on types of meat or dairy served, how the animals were
raised, maps and links to websites. Visitors can also search the
guide by type of meat, production method, or type of establishment.
With close to 6,000 entries continually updated, the Guide has become
a reliable resource and a useful tool for those seeking practical
ways to change their diet and buying habits.

With the overwhelming success of The Meatrix, Sustainable Table has
expanded to become a larger independent program. The Meatrix has been
the most successful of Sustainable Table’s unique projects, with
accolades that include a 2005 Webby Award, an Environmental Media
Award and acceptance into film festivals across the globe. It has
been translated into over 20 languages and has been dubbed into
Spanish, Polish, French, German, Catalan and Portuguese. And thanks
to popular demand, dubbed versions in Italian, Mandarin and Kiswahili
are coming soon.

Each month, approximately 200,000 new people watch the film
worldwide, over two years after its release. You too can join us and
help end The Meatrix.

Watch the original Meatrix at www.themeatrix.com and The Meatrix II:
Revolting at http://www.themeatrix2.com.