Right to Harm, a new documentary by filmmakers Matt Wechsler and Annie Spiecher (SUSTAINABLE), exposes the public health and social impacts of factory farming on communities across the United States. The film tracks the tribulations and triumphs of five rural communities who are victims of the past 50 years of agricultural consolidation and the consequential laws that govern livestock production. Fed up with the lack of regulation, these disenfranchised citizens band together to demand justice from their legislators.

The film chronicles the failures of state agencies to regulate industrial animal agriculture. Known formally as concentrated animal feeding operations—or CAFOs—these facilities produce millions of gallons of untreated waste that destroys the quality of life of nearby neighbors. Farmers, mothers, scientists, and politicians share intimate stories of how their lives were forever changed by factory farming. Right to Harm is an enlightening exploration that questions whether citizens are entitled to clean air and water while examining the widespread political issues that stand in the way of nationwide reform.

The March 27th event will include a press conference and panel discussion featuring filmmaker Matt Wechsler and two special guests who appear in the film: Dr. John Ikerd, author and professor emeritus, University of Missouri, and Diane Rosenberg, consultant, Socially Responsible Agricultural Project.