THEM
By Marjorie Spiegel for IDEA - The Institute for the Development of Earth
IDEA takes a very innovative approach to education, and to initiating positive change in the world. Through its synthesis of human, animal and environmental issues, it furthers an understanding of the interconnectedness of contemporary issues, promoting a positive message of unity as it presents and explores possible solutions. IDEA addresses the root causes, rather than the symptoms, of the issues we face.
I am deeply committed to IDEA’s mission and vision of the future, and believe in— and have seen— the effectiveness of IDEA’s integrative approach to education.
The industrialization of agriculture in the United States has, in the last half-century, radically altered American farming, rural life and communities, the natural environment, and the lives of animals raised for food. With the dramatic changes which have occurred in agriculture have come equally dramatic and far-reaching repercussions— to environmental integrity, human health, and farm animal welfare. The small family farm, the near-mythological symbol of America’s fertile and productive agricultural system, has all but disappeared in the wake of modern corporate agribusiness; the open fields of the small farm have been replaced by the total confinement of the factory farm.
Photographic images impact, inspire and engage audiences in a powerful and lasting manner; and while the subject of my photo essay was at times difficult, the work resulted in a project that will further IDEA’s efforts to educate and inform about these significant and timely issues, and will further IDEA’s mission to help create a humane, sustainable future.
