What I see when I go undercover at factory farms ❘ Timo Stammberger
Timo Stammberger witnesses firsthand the scenes that the industrial food industry wants to keep hidden: monotonous, filthy concrete pits, where animals are kept in cages so tight they can barely move.
Timo Stammberger witnesses firsthand the scenes that the industrial food industry wants to keep hidden: monotonous, filthy concrete pits, where animals are kept in cages so tight they can barely move.
Timo Stammberger captures the pain and suffering these animals endure: animals who are no less sentient, emotional, and deserving of love than the dogs and cats we share our homes with.
Through documenting what he sees inside factory farms, Timo Stammberger shares the stories of innocent individuals suffering within our destructive food system to the public, and hopes to inspire compassion and change #ForTheAnimals. Listen to his story, and view more of his undercover work on Instagram or his website.
Transcript
Timo Stammberger: Animals and humans need to be liberated from this destructive industry, as both are heavily exploited. We rarely get to see farmed animals in circumstances where they get to happily live out their lives. Animal agriculture is one of the most destructive and unethical industries on the planet.
I started this kind of photography after I learned about the reality of factory farming and the basics of animal ethics. Visiting my first factory farm and seeing animals suffer with my own eyes was my wake-up call. From that moment on, I merged my passion for creating with this important cause and became an advocate for them. I believe using my privilege for good is the right thing to do.
Animals are being bred and fattened in huge industrial facilities made of metal and concrete, hidden from our sight. It disturbs even those who aren't avid animal lovers to witness our ultimate domination over defenseless beings. Animals are at our mercy, forced into the system of factory farming to meet our unnecessary demand for animal products. They're deprived of their natural behavior and basic needs. There are many misconceptions about farmed animals, and I reflect on this blind spot in my work.
My emotions vary during the process of capturing these animals. On one hand, I'm in a quiet, rational photographer mode, trying to convey my unique experience inside these places so that the public can understand what goes on behind closed doors.
But on the other hand, looking into the eyes of these innocent beings, it's tough not to get emotionally involved. Animals are not machines; they are sentient beings who want to live. Each one of them looks back at me, and all I can do is tell their story and remind us of our compassion for others.
Through my work, I collect fragments of a destructive industry that operates mostly hidden from the public eye. As an artist, it is my duty to seek truth and inform. Animals and humans need to be liberated from this industry, as both are heavily exploited.
As long as there are people fighting for those whose voices are not being heard, there is hope. Our actions create hope, and I hope our work inspires others to demand necessary change. I am grateful to everyone involved in activism because, one day, if we can eliminate animal farming, our work will serve as important artifacts for future generations to learn about a past world we never want to revisit.
More Like This
Undercover: The Work of Dulce Ramírez
“I deeply admire women who have done investigations, who take pictures of the most terrible situations and who transform it into struggle and activism to change the lives of the animals.”
What Are Ag-Gag Laws and How Many States Have Them?
Since the 1990s, the agriculture industry has fought for laws to prevent whistleblowers from documenting and sharing its gruesome practices with the public. But these “ag-gag” laws aren’t just morally dubious—they’re unconstitutional.