BLOG: Yesterday we brought you news of Red Tractor has re-certifing a farm that featured in a Panorama documentary about abuse against cows in the dairy industry here in the UK, today we celebrate the day of supreme cognitive dissonance that is ‘Cow Appreciation Day’ in the US. Claire Hamlett reports.

Red Tractor has recertified the Welsh dairy farm that was featured in an episode of BBC’s investigative program Panorama in February, which showed footage of workers horrifically and illegally abusing the cows.

EXPOSED: With the suffering of cows receiving so much attention, it’s easy to forget about the other animals whose milk we steal. But thanks to the work of campaign NGO Animal Justice Project, abuse and neglect of goats has been uncovered at a farm supplying the UK’s leading ‘high welfare’ supermarkets.

NEWS: Money spent on developing plant-based meat alternatives results in far greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions than if the same investment was made in any other eco-initiatives, said Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Too few farmers are transitioning to agricultural practices that are better for biodiversity, soil health and the climate, and “cognitive lock-ins” are to blame, says a new study. But there are ways to overcome these lock-ins, and they could also help farmers transition from livestock to plant agriculture, writes Claire Hamlett.

OPINION: Following a terrifying bout of ill-health for Leela the dog, Claire Hamlett tells us how she can now relate to the struggles faced by people caught in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis and looking for ways to avoid expensive vet bills.

NEWS: We’ve long known that dairy has been embattled by a ‘perfect storm’ of supermarket price-fixing, Brexit, the pandemic, the rise of plant-based milk alternatives and now increased overheads, but the industry’s own research is revealing exactly how many farmers want to jump ship… and how soon.

VOICES: Andy Parkinson tells us why he, along with fellow award-winning photographers Neil Aldridge and Matt Maran, set out with their new book FOX: Neighbour Villain Icon to shed light on the truth about one of Britain’s best-known predators and dispel the myths that malign society’s attitudes towards these enigmatic animals.

NOT IF BUT WHEN: Animal farming threatens public health by spreading infectious diseases that can jump between species. But getting people to quit meat is just too hard, so let’s just try to slightly reduce this risk by intensifying animal farming, right? Wrong, writes Claire Hamlett.

DEBUNKED: The nutritional value of plant-based cheeses relative to their far less compassionate dairy-based alternatives has received a lot of attention in the press recently. This may be true of many vegan versions right now, but as Claire Hamlett writes, are our critics missing the point?

DEEP DIVE: Two types of characters epitomise Disney like no other: princesses, and animals. But while Disney’s portrayal of female characters has left much to be desired with change only happening relatively recently, the studio giant’s treatment of animals is still sorely lacking, as Nina Copleston so deftly explains.

Among the Ukrainians required to stay and fight in the war against Russia rather than evacuate, many vegans are among the soldiers to be drafted. But with vegan products scarce among the Armed Forces, who supports the country’s vegan fighters? Tamara Human of vegan organisation Every Animal explains.