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This is a cleaned transcript of my recent talk at the School for Moral Ambition which was attended by 82 professionals (video recording available here). I’ve polished the transcript for readability while keeping it close to what I said, including concise answers from the Q&A.
The talk was designed to give a broad overview in 20 minutes — not to be exhaustive, but to highlight the scale of the problem, tell my story and share practical ways to get involved. It may be useful for you if you're looking to get more involved in the cause area or maybe want to give a similar talk yourself!
TL;DR
The School for Moral Ambition wants to help as many people as possible take the step towards a job with a positive impact. They run fellowships, a vibrant community of global 15k members and a circle program to encourage everyone to make an impact. Factory farming is one of the problems the school focuses on. This talk was part of their Moral Ambition Talks pilot.
Hi everyone. It’s so lovely to be here with you today.
I’m Sofia Balderson, the founder and Executive Director of Hive, an organization fighting to end factory farming. But it took a while to get here.
In this talk, I’ll tell you about my story, why I got involved in this issue, and what you can do to help solve it.
When I was little, I wanted to change the world. I imagined myself ending wars, eradicating poverty, and stopping climate change. I never thought the problem I would dedicate my life to would be… dinner!
Yet here I am, because factory farming is one of the world’s biggest and most urgent problems of the 21st century. And the surprising thing is: we created this problem — which means we also have a real chance of solving it if we act now.
Growing up in Belarus, I never questioned where meat came from. My grandparents lovingly prepared pork chops for me, and I thought pigs lived on happy farms. When I grew up, I realized the reality was very different.
Factory farming prioritizes efficiency and cost above all else. This has enormous consequences:
So why hasn’t this problem been solved yet?
This may sound discouraging. But here’s the good news: because the problem is so vast and the movement so small, individual contributions can have an outsized impact.
We can imagine a different world:
This world is possible if we choose to build it.
Like you, I once had traditional career plans — a good job, money, maybe fame. But when I learned about factory farming, all my plans went out of the window.
I made it my top priority to find work contributing to the end of factory farming. My first role was at Veganuary, a charity helping people try vegan. I enjoyed it, but I felt disconnected from the bigger picture. I wanted to know how we could coordinate better, and how I could make the most impact.
That’s how Hive was born: a free, global online community connecting people working to end factory farming.
Starting Hive was the hardest thing I’ve ever done — a side project with no funding that took a year to get off the ground. But it’s also the most rewarding. Today we have over 4,000 members in more than 100 countries. Every day, I see collaboration that gives me hope.
Not everyone can leave their job to start a nonprofit — and that’s not necessary. There are several powerful ways to contribute:
You don’t have to do everything. Just ask yourself: Do I want to give skills, time, or resources? Or do I want to learn right now?
Whatever you choose, your contribution — combined with thousands of others — can make a huge difference.
None of us chose to be born into a world with factory farming. But together, we can choose to fight for a world where it doesn’t exist.
I edited the answers to be concise.
Q1. Would glass walls in slaughterhouses help?
They might raise awareness, but the industry has resources to minimize the impact — hiding facilities, restricting access, passing laws. This could work as part of a bigger strategy, but not on its own.
Q2. Incremental reforms or abolition?
Incremental reforms are essential. Corporate cage-free commitments have reduced suffering and raised costs for producers. Total abolition in one step isn’t realistic, but incremental change builds momentum toward it.
Q3. How can technologists get involved?
Nonprofits need software engineers (albeit with few roles available). Alternative protein companies need food scientists and technologists. For example, startups are developing ways to determine chick sex before hatching, preventing male chick culling.
Q4. Do welfare labels matter?
The impact is mixed. Some labels are confusing or misleading, but clear ones — like cage-free — have shifted markets. Labels can help, though they’re not a solution on their own.
Q5. In the Global South, people sometimes resent animal advocacy because of human suffering. How would you respond?
I’d frame factory farming as more than an animal issue: it harms human health, pollutes rivers, and drives climate change. Not everyone will agree, and sometimes you need to focus on the stakeholders who matter most.
Q6. Could the industry itself drive change?
Yes, if profit incentives align. Some big companies are already investing in alternative proteins. It’s complex, but framing solutions as mutually beneficial could be effective.
Q7. How do you measure Hive’s impact?
We look at the concrete outcomes our members achieve through the community — finding jobs, meeting co-founders, securing funding, starting campaigns or research projects, and hiring staff. We also capture softer impact: day-to-day knowledge-sharing, emotional support, and the sense of being part of a global movement.
Q8. Should we focus on legislation or producers?
Both. Corporate campaigns have changed practices without laws, while legislation like California’s Prop 12 has outlawed cruel practices. Enforcement is essential, but a dual approach is most effective.
Thanks for checking out this transcript of my talk!
What’s one way you’d most like to contribute (or already contributing)— skills, time, or resources — to ending factory farming?
