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Lauren Ornelas is the founder and General Programs Team Member of Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice nonprofit that promotes veganism, fights for farm workers, works on lack of access to healthy foods in Black and Brown communities, and encourages people not to buy chocolate sourced from the worst forms of child labor, including slavery. She has been active in the animal rights movement since 1987, having started the first high school animal rights group in San Antonio, Texas, and then Action for Animals, a group she launched in college and that is still active in Austin. In 1999, lauren was asked by Viva!UK to start and run Viva!USA in 1999. As the leader of Viva!USA, lauren investigated factory farms and ran consumer campaigns, working with activists nationwide. In cooperation with other activists, lauren persuaded Trader Joe’s to stop selling duck meat, convinced Pier 1 Imports to stop using feathers, and was the spark that got the former CEO of Whole Foods Market to become a vegan. She also helped halt the construction of an industrial dairy operation in California. In addition, lauren served as campaign director with the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition for six years. Watch lauren’s TEDx talk on The Power of Our Food Choices.

Food Empowerment Project Links:

Website: foodispower.org

Instagram: @foodempowermentproject

Facebook: www.facebook.com/foodempowermentproject/

Bluesky: @foodispower.bsky.social

Threads: @foodempowermentproject

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/foodempowermentproject

Get Lauren's CHOCOLATE APP

Lauren's TEDX

The Juicy Bits:

Young children have empathy toward animals, but it's pushed out of them.
No matter the label, animals are transported and slaughtered in horrible conditions. If you care that much, you need to take that extra step.
What does sustainable mean to you? It should mean every living being can live life fully with dignity and respect.
Once you start thinking outside yourself, it opens you up to thinking of others. If we have the privilege to think about our food choices, then we have a responsibility to do better.
When looking at the food system, every step of the way there are humans exploited. It is important to make informed decisions and speak out.
The FOOD EMPOWERMENT PROJECT focuses on: veganism for the animals, anti-dairy efforts, farm worker justice, and lack of access to healthy foods.
CHOCOLATE IS A LUXURY. Try not to support industries that enslave, abuse, and traffic people.
Food is a tool for social change. There is so much power with food.
Lauren's favorite foods: Thai and Mexican, popcorn, French fries

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