Who We Are
Beyond Carnism is a US-based, international organization dedicated to exposing and transforming carnism, the invisible belief system that conditions people to eat certain animals.
Carnism causes extensive suffering. Animal agriculture is responsible for the unnecessary slaughter of 72 billion land animals and between one and three trillion fish and other aquatic animals worldwide per year, and it is a major contributor to environmental degradation, human disease, and human rights violations. However, the majority of people who eat animals are unaware that they are contributing to such destruction.
At Beyond Carnism, we believe that people need and deserve to know the truth about carnism, so they can make their food choices freely—because without awareness, there is no free choice.
Beyond Carnism seeks to empower both nonvegans and vegan advocates through awareness raising and training, to help create a more just and compassionate world for all beings, human and nonhuman alike.
And, because we recognize that relational dysfunction is the metaproblem that gives rise to carnism and other, intersecting problems—and that weakens the vegan movement—our metamission is to help create a more relational world.
Our Impact and Transparency
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Our Beliefs and Principles
Awareness Raising
Awareness is both an intellectual and emotional state, and it is often from this state that people are empowered to take positive action. We believe that it is impossible to have an objective conversation about eating animals as long as people remain unaware of carnism. Awareness raising is therefore central to all our work.
Effective Altruism
We are committed to the principles of effective altruism, in that we employ evidence and reason to make choices that are as impactful as possible.
The Limitations of Free Choice
We recognize that certain people, such as those who are economically disadvantaged or geographically dependent on eating animals, are unable to make their food choices freely.
Nonviolence
We are committed to nonviolence in attitude and action. Beyond Carnism does not endorse physical violence or violent communication.
Relational Literacy
Carnism and other oppressive systems condition us to relate to others—human and nonhuman—in a way that is relationally dysfunctional, or “nonrelational.” Relational dysfunction is also a key driver of ineffective advocacy, unsustainability and burnout, and infighting. We are therefore committed to both promoting and practicing relational literacy, the understanding of and ability to practice healthy ways of relating.
Unifying Animal, Social, and Environmental Justice Movements
Carnism stems from the same mentality that drives all forms of oppression and abuse, and it has the same structure as other oppressive, or nonrelational, systems, such as patriarchy and racism. We believe it is essential to raise awareness of the fact that carnism is an oppressive system and of the need for advocates from all justice movements to unify toward a shared “metamission” of creating a more relational world.
Effectiveness
The vegan movement is only as effective as its proponents, vegan advocates. We work to increase the effectiveness of vegan advocates to increase the effectiveness of the movement as a whole.
Strategic Thinking
We promote not only specific methods of effective advocacy but also a commitment to strategic thinking. Strategy, the method by which one seeks to achieve an objective, is the most powerful way to bridge the gap between the resources of animal-use industries and vegan advocates—and learning to think strategically is central to effective advocacy.
Science
Science matters. To the degree possible, our resources and trainings are based on empirical data.
Quality
We place a high value on professionalism and quality services, which we make sure are widely accessible and affordable for all.
Inclusivity
We seek to increase the resilience of the vegan movement and also to support social transformation more broadly by promoting awareness among vegans of nonrelational systems that harm humans, such as patriarchy and racism.
Our Team
Dr. Melanie Joy - Founding President
Melanie Joy, PhD, EdM, is a Harvard-educated psychologist specializing in the psychology of eating animals, social transformation, and relationships. She is widely recognized as a thought leader and is best known for her pioneering work developing her theory of carnism. Her analyses have helped explain why people engage in “nonrelational” behaviors—behaviors that harm other people, animals, the planet, and themselves—as well as how to change this pattern.
Joy is the award-winning author of seven books, including the bestselling Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. She is also an internationally recognized speaker and trainer who’s presented her work in fifty countries across six continents. Her work has been featured by media outlets around the world, including The New York Times, the BBC, NPR, and ABC Australia. She is the eighth recipient of the Ahimsa Award—previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela—for her work on global nonviolence, and she also received both the Peter Singer Prize and the Empty Cages Prize for her work developing strategies to reduce the suffering of animals.
All of Joy’s work is designed to raise awareness of the obstacles preventing people from interacting in ways that create a sense of mutual connection, with human and nonhuman beings. These obstacles are both internal (psychological) and external (social), and they are a key reason why we act against our own interests and the interests of others—often without realizing that we’re doing so. With awareness, we are better able to think freely and act compassionately, to create healthier and more fulfilling relationships and a more equitable and sustainable world.
Ed Startup - Head of Programs
After nearly a decade working as an educator, Ed Startup joined the Beyond Carnism team so he could apply his skills to developing hi-impact curricula, trainings, and campaigns to further the mission of exposing and transforming carnism globally. Ed is primarily responsible for overseeing the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy, and he has been revamping the program to expand its reach, increase its impact, and enhance its offerings. He is passionate about developing informative and engaging learning experiences that not only help increase the impact of vegan advocates, but also help to shift consciousness to help cultivate a more relational and mindful world.
Denise Arrell—Rosenquist - Director of Operations
Denise Arrell-Rosenquist joined Beyond Carnism in 2023 with an education and public administration background. Denise has a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Leadership. She is passionate about creating authentic relationships, foundational systems, and healthy workspaces for organizations advocating for a more compassionate world for all living beings. Denise is excited and grateful to work with Beyond Carnism, an extraordinary organization that effectively exposes and transforms carnism, strengthens veganism, and improves relational literacy.
Jennifer Brunk - Fundraising and Development Manager
Lucy Evans - Digital Engagement Manager
Lucy Evans joined Beyond Carnism in 2022. Using her passion for communication and knowledge of social media strategy, she oversees Beyond Carnism’s online community while ensuring that our message reaches as many social media users as possible. Lucy’s background is in philosophy, and she is passionate about animal ethics and the philosophy of human-animal relations. She is thrilled to be part of an organization that strives to make the world a more compassionate place for all beings.
Nirali Shah - Communications Manager
Nirali Shah joined Beyond Carnism in 2021 after six years managing communications for a leading animal rights organization in Asia. Using her media and marketing skills and expertise, Nirali helps ensure Beyond Carnism’s work reaches a global audience while opening hearts and minds. She is excited to work toward exposing and transforming carnism and to help make the world a more compassionate and just place.
Dawn Moncrief - Board Chair
Dawn Moncrief is the founder and president of A Well-Fed World, an international hunger relief and climate advocacy organization advancing plant-based foods and farming. She has been a social justice advocate since the early 1990s and has two master’s degrees from The George Washington University: one in International Relations, the other in Women’s Studies, both focusing on economic development. Her work highlights the ways in which high levels of meat consumption in the U.S. and globally exacerbate global hunger, especially for women and children. She also draws attention to the negative consequences of animal agriculture on climate change and the deceptiveness of “humane” marketing.