This initiative uses entertainment - in the form of an animated film - and the Internet to raise consumers' awareness and to mobilise people to take action. Visitors to The Meatrix site can view the flash movie, which illustrates the impact that factory farming has on animals, human health, the environment, and farming communities. The film is a play on "The Matrix", a science fiction movie that features a man named Neo who learns from "Morpheus" that what he thought was "the real world" is a computer construct created by intelligent machines to blind humans to the truth: they have been enslaved and are being exploited as a power source.

Specifically, The Meatrix begins with a typical family farm scene. A cow in a black trenchcoat ("Moopheus") approaches a happy pig at his trough ("Leo"), and says "The Meatrix is all around you, Leo. It is the story we tell ourselves about where meat and animal products come from. This family farm is a fantasy, Leo. Take the blue pill and stay here in the fantasy, take the red pill and I'll show you the truth." Leo takes the red pill and experiences a wild transition, finding himself in one of many gestation crates on a huge factory farm. The dialogue continues:

Moopheus: Welcome to the real world.

Leo: Whoah! What is this horrible place?

Moopheus: This is a factory farm, Leo. Places like this are where most eggs, milk and meat come from.

Moopheus demonstrates to Leo that he has been blinded from what the film's producers define as the true nature of irresponsible factory farm mega-corporations. To end this illusion, Moopheus explains the harms associated with factory farming - as he does so, 4 talking points ("unnecessary animal cruelty", "antibiotic resistant germs", "destroys environment", and "destroys communities") appear on the bottom of the screen. Moopheus concludes by looking directly at the viewer and saying "it's you, the consumer who has the real power! Don't support the factory farming machine! There is a world of alternatives!"

These alternatives are laid out in an accompanying website, which includes information specific to consumers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The site user is urged to buy meat from family farmers; an eat-well guide includes a list of family farmers, stores, and restaurants that sell such meat. Other action ideas include advocating for "safe school lunches" by protecting schools from irradiated beef, engaging in political action by urging lawmakers to stop resistant germs, helping family farmers, and stopping factory farms. A list of related websites for further information or action is also included.

People are encouraged to spread the word about this film by entering their friends' email addresses on The Meatrix website and by talking to others about the issues it raises.

Nutrition, Environment, Agriculture.

In February 2003, Free Range, a USA-based design company, invited non-profit organisations to apply for free production of a Flash movie. After reviewing more than 50 applications, the grant was awarded to GRACE, an organisation that works to end factory farming and to promote sustainable agriculture. The GRACE Factory Farm Project (GFFP) works to create a sustainable food production system that is healthful and humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound. When invited by regional or grassroots groups, the GFFP helps rural communities, family ranchers, and farmers around the United States oppose the spread of new factory farms and close down existing operations that adversely affect the health and well-being of communities. Organisers say that reform of the farming industry would mean significant gains in health, food safety, economic justice, workers' rights, environmental integrity, and animal rights. Headed by an economist, the GRACE Factory Farm Team consists of independent family farmers from across North America.

Organisers claim that over 2 million people have watched The Meatrix. A script of the film may be downloaded in PDF format by clicking here. In the works are Spanish and Polish translations of the film, as well as French, Italian, Chinese, and Portuguese transcripts.