This year's World Farm Animals Day campaign may quite literally save 50 billion animals a year by preventing a planned worldwide expansion of factory farming!

FARM has learned that the US meat conglomerates and international financial institutions are pushing food policies and trade agreements that would double world production and consumption of meat and milk in the next 20 years. Most of this expansion would take place in developing nations, through mas-sive factory farming operations that would eventually breed, cage, mutilate, manhandle, and slaughter an additional 50 billion cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and other sentient, innocent animals each year.

Other disasters would follow. The resulting drawdown of grain supplies would create widespread famine. The impacts on soil, waterways, and habitats would wreck the fragile ecology of developing countries. Public health impacts would impose an unacceptable burden on their economies. The associ-ated vertical integration would exploit indigenous farmers, creating a form of "agricultural colonialism."

FARM has been working hard to make this 19th annual observance the most successful ever:

• We are forming a WFAD National Council composed of celebrities like James Cromwell, Linda Blair, Bill Maher, Casey Kasem, and Alicia Silverstone.
• We are requesting special proclamations from one hundred governors and large city mayors.
• We are conducting national media liaison, soliciting articles and radio/TV interviews.
• We are running ads in magazines and putting up hundreds of billboards and bus cards.
• We are asking national organizations to participate by running ads and web site banners.
• We are developing attractive new posters and handouts for grassroots events.
• We are planning a large rally in the nation's capital

But, in addition, we have created the Global Hunger Alliance (www.globalhunger.net) to con-vince delegates to the World Food Summit to reject animal agriculture as a solution to the scourge of world hunger. The Alliance has already recruited a number of member organizations. It has de-veloped and distributed position papers and other lobbying materials to WFS officials. It is currently preparing to participate in the massive street protests anticipated at the WFS meeting in Rome this November. The Alliance effectively conducts the world-wide outreach for World Farm Animals Day.

We invite you to be a part of this crucial national outreach effort! Here's how:

• Please consider conducting a grassroots event to raise public awareness of the atrocities perpe-trated against farmed animals. Such event may be an information table, exhibit, lecture, leafleting, vigil, memorial service, or march. To get started, take a look at the guide and leaflet overleaf, then visit our web site (www. farmusa.org) or call 1-888-FARM USA to request a free Action Kit.
• If you are unable to conduct an event this year, do make a generous gift to help those who are.

World Farm Animals Day is the one day a year when every one is conscience-bound to do some-thing to help end the agony of 45 billion cows, pigs, sheep, and other innocent, sentient animals in the world's factory farms and slaughterhouses. Please be sure to do your part!

Click here to register now!