Changemakers: Behind the Scenes of Common Enemy with Adam Peditto

Drawing on years of experience as an editor, videographer, writer, and director—as well as his training as a Digital Film and Video Production graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia—Adam has spent nearly a decade advocating for animals and telling their stories through film. He took a moment to reflect on his latest project with The Humane League, a powerful and poignant documentary that examines the state of factory farming in Oklahoma—and how real people are fighting back against Big Ag.

Tell us a little bit about this project. Where did the idea come from?

I have been making short films and educational videos about factory farming for the past seven years, so the general topic was one I was very familiar with. However, as I learned more about how Oklahoma is rapidly becoming a hotbed for industrial animal agriculture, I realized a bigger story could be told. 

Oklahoma isn't Iowa or North Carolina, both of which lead the nation in factory farm production, yet still, there is a tapestry of exploitation woven by corporations that are motivated by greed. These multinational industries prey on small towns, push out local family farms, and force residents to adapt. The practice decimates the economies of rural communities while poisoning their water and forcing animals into extreme confinement. The ones in charge? Executives from out of state, and often from overseas, far away from these factory farms.

Born and raised on the East Coast, I believed Oklahoma to be the vast American heartland, with sprawling plains, rich with a culture of family farming. My perception came from growing up seeing the musical Oklahoma, and driving through the state it's clear that Oklahoma is a farming-proud state with no shortage of cowboy imagery, ranchers, and pro-farming billboards. Upon digging deeper, I learned these traits are becoming legends of the past as industrial animal agriculture has been taking hold of the land, the people, and the animals in Oklahoma. This contrast sparked the idea of telling the story of factory farming with a state like Oklahoma as the main character.

The idea of treating a state as the main character of a documentary is so powerful. How did you want to bring that to life?

The factory farming industry is massive, sprawling, and multi-faceted. When I first learned about the inconceivable scale and horrors of industrial animal agriculture, I felt hopeless. I didn’t know how to help, or where to start. Years back, my work shifted, and I began creating educational videos about the industry. There was no shortage of topics to focus on, but it’s difficult to process pain in the billions. With Common Enemy, I wanted to take a microscope to the factory farming industry in the US and focus on a single area, with a few individuals who are fighting the industry. Having Oklahomans tell the story made the issue feel tangible for the first time.

How did you end up getting connected with the folks featured in the documentary? What was it like hearing their stories?

There was a period of a few months where our Producer, José Elias, and I researched the current state of factory farming in Oklahoma. It was clear that this was not a single-issue problem. We learned of individuals fighting back against corporate industrial agriculture from many different angles. A few names kept coming up during this research period, from politicians to farmers to activists from the Cherokee Nation. We spent a few weeks reaching out to them, gaining their trust, sharing our vision for the documentary, and planning our interviews. It was one thing to read their stories online, but to actually be in Oklahoma with these individuals, having intimate conversations about their lives, their land, and their health, to me is where the real magic of filmmaking shines through.

Did you make any discoveries in the process of interviewing people?

We learned so much during our time filming and interviewing in Oklahoma. We visited an industrial pig operation with a former employee, Deacon Jones. He detailed his time working at this factory farm, describing the plight not only of the pigs but also of the workers who endure their own type of torment. Deacon was hired to drive grain trucks for the factory farm. He is a disabled veteran, who deals with different forms of trauma. He hoped hauling feed would be a simple, low-stress job to help him provide more for his family. But his employer quickly forced a new responsibility onto him, transporting pigs. Shortly after, they handed Deacon a nail gun and, with no proper training or equipment, added 'killing pigs' to his job description. Sadly, the exploitation of farm workers is rampant and often unregulated.     

Then there is former rancher Suzette Hatfield, who spoke out against the increase of corporate factory farms in her area in the 1990s. She became an advocate for the rural communities whose water and air were being threatened by these mega-operations. She shared with me the credible death threats she received around this time coming from the pork industry, and how her life was threatened simply for speaking out against factory farming. Her persistence and determination, as well as Deacon's willingness to relive traumatic workplace experiences, only motivated me further to ensure we share these stories widely.

Is there a particular moment in the documentary that you’d like to point out—something that’s stayed with you, or something you found really surprising or powerful?

We spent some time with Pamela Kingfisher, an environmental activist from the Cherokee Nation born to the Bird Clan. Pam took us around her community and showed us firsthand how invasive poultry factory farms are. At one point, as we stood on a rural overpass, we could see upwards of 45 CAFOs, each housing around 50,000 chickens. The stench was a nauseating chokehold and, sadly, only a few hundred yards from an elementary school.  

A few years back, Pam's neighbors told her that construction was beginning nearby for multiple chicken factory farms. They were a corporate-backed operation coming in from out of state. These CAFOs were set to be built on tribal land, and the proximity to the water posed an undeniable threat to her and her community. Pam spent months holding meetings and spreading awareness about the situation. Her organizing skills and unflinching passion for tribal sovereignty from industrial animal agriculture paid off when the Cherokee Nation bought back the land and halted the production of these factory farms. At times it can feel as though we are up against a goliath, given the reach and power of corporate-backed animal agriculture, but Pam is a true inspiration, and meeting her gave me a new perspective on the work we do.

What do you hope people take away from watching the documentary?

My goal is to help viewers connect the dots of the sprawling exploitation coming from industrial animal agriculture. The voices in the documentary are undeniable and, I believe, will resonate with viewers who are passionate about animal suffering, want to protect our vulnerable environment, and care about the oppression of marginalized communities.

How has Common Enemy changed how you personally think about our food system?

Although Oklahoma is the main character in this film, I walked away with a profound realization that this is a story that is relevant to us all. Oklahoma is not an extreme example of factory farming gone awry. Chances are, wherever you're reading this from, it's not too different from what's happening in your area. I was reminded that it is not only the animals suffering at the hands of corporate greed and industrial animal agriculture. I realize we have more allies than adversaries in this fight. That gives me hope.