A new campaign aiming to end factory farming in the United Kingdom has garnered support from a range of celebrities and backed by significant funding. Project Slingshot, launched this week, combines high-profile endorsements with a series of public awareness efforts targeting controversial practices within the industrial agriculture sector.
The initiative was announced through a series of videos featuring public figures such as actor Diane Morgan, known for her role as Philomena Cunk, Dr. Amir Khan, a general practitioner who appears on Good Morning Britain, and comedians Jen Brister, Jon Richardson, and Sara Pascoe. The campaign has also involved stunts including an animatronic chicken placed outside Pret A Manger stores and projections of pig slaughter footage onto London landmarks.
Project Slingshot, supported by an initial £4 million in funding, intends to raise awareness about the welfare and environmental issues related to factory farming. The campaign’s messaging focuses on ending practices such as the use of carbon dioxide chambers to stun pigs prior to slaughter, the breeding of fast-growing chickens referred to as “Frankenchickens,” and concerns over farmed salmon afflicted by sea lice.
Naomi Alicia Hallum, one of the co-founders, stated that the campaign’s ultimate goal is to dismantle the factory farming system, which she described as harmful to animals, public health, the environment, and small-scale farmers. Hallum, who recently returned to Britain after over a decade in California, previously served as chief executive of Generation Vegan, an advocacy organisation. Alongside her, Matthew Glover, another co-founder and British campaigner with investments in plant-based food businesses, has played an active role in shaping the initiative. Though both are vegan, Hallum emphasized that the campaign does not aim to prescribe diets but instead targets corporations responsible for factory farming practices.
Project Slingshot has attracted numerous prominent supporters, including naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham and Dame Joanna Lumley. Social media influencer Shabaz Ali and TV presenter Matt Pritchard also appeared in early promotional content. The campaign draws funding from three US philanthropic foundations, including the Karuna Foundation, based in Colorado, which operates the Vegan Fund supporting vegan activism.
The release of the campaign has itself drawn attention, with agents reportedly approaching Slingshot to involve additional celebrities rather than the initiative seeking them out.
Reaction from industry groups presents a mixed picture. The British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, acknowledged that animal welfare is a significant concern for retailers. The National Farmers Union asserted that poor welfare practices are “extremely rare.” Meanwhile, the Animal Welfare Committee, an independent government adviser, recommended phasing out the use of carbon dioxide chambers for pig stunning within four years. However, the National Pig Association contested this, arguing there is currently no commercially viable alternative to the practice on a large scale.
As Project Slingshot gains momentum, the debate surrounding the future of factory farming and animal welfare in the UK is set to intensify.