In this report, we’re sharing stories of the real people — our friends and neighbors — who feel the impacts of drilling, water shutoffs, and factory farms. We’re grateful for your generosity. Meet the people your support has touched this year.

Food & Water Watch organizers are in communities across the country, working closely with those most impacted by the dangers of factory farms, water insecurity, and fossil fuel infrastructure. These problems we tackle require both short-term and long-term solutions, and we are grateful for your generosity.

Food & Water Watch delivers real results that improve people’s lives – thanks to YOU.

• You’re keeping the water turned on in millions of homes.
• You’re shutting down factory farms, pushing for policies that support small and midsize family farms, and reviving rural communities. 
• You’re stopping climate chaos, keeping people safe from fracking, and transitioning communities to 100% renewable energy.

Fighting Fossil Fuels

Like you, Food & Water Watch wants a livable planet for generations to come. That’s why we organize communities for a fair and just transition to 100% renewable energy as we work to stop all oil or gas production and ban fracking now.

Alex Austin lived in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles for most of her life until a few months ago, when she along with many neighbors were forced to move due to the health effects of the largest gas leak in U.S. history. The gas leak lasted four months, releasing roughly 100,000 metric tons of climate-destroying methane and other harmful pollutants that threatened nearby communities and forced more than 8,000 families to flee their homes.

Food & Water Watch had been working with residents there for years prior to the blowout because of the enormous risk of gas infrastructure. Along with our organizer, Alex has fought for justice for her community at the local, state, and national levels — and this fight will go on.

That’s what your support brings — a team of residents and volunteers working together, guided by our organizers and empowered by our research, legal expertise, and advocacy.

Securing Water For All

Water companies and utilities burden tens of millions of families with sky-high water bills to support crumbling water infrastructure. That’s why we fight for federal investment in our national water infrastructure — we want clean, safe, and affordable water for all.  

Pastor James is a community leader in Baltimore. The government nearly took his beloved church through a tax sale, in part because of an unaffordable water bill. By connecting with Food & Water Watch, the church found help and stopped their eviction from their home of 30 years. 

We worked with Pastor James and others to pass legislation to remove water bills from the tax sale process, protecting thousands from losing their home for an unaffordable water bill. 

Building a Better Food System

“For some people, farming is a hidden world,” says Tiffany, who runs a small livestock farm with her husband, Andy, south of Minneapolis. When the pandemic hit, they saw a surge of people who wanted locally-grown food.

They were lucky. Many other small farms, overlooked by federal relief, suffered devastating losses during the pandemic. 

That’s why Food & Water Watch’s work to ban factory farms is so important. Small and medium-sized farms raising livestock are being pushed out by large factory farms housing thousands of animals in crowded spaces. These operations, controlled by approximately 20 corporations, produce enormous volumes of waste, pollute the air and water, exploit workers, harm animal welfare, fuel antibiotic resistance and climate change, and harm the rural communities they are purported to benefit.

We’re fighting for legislation to hold corporations accountable and bring transformational change. We also take the worst offenders to court. With partners in the largest farm states, we’re standing up to giant corporate interests. 

This is an exclusive preview from our upcoming research piece that sets out a bold new vision for farming in America – set for release in April.

We at Food & Water Watch are grateful for your generosity. 

Your investment in healthy food, clean water, and a livable climate makes a huge impact. Thank you for joining us to fight like you live here!