Why?
Tiny Beam Fund's flagship Burning Questions Initiative produces a list of ‘burning questions’. These questions were contributed by over 25 organizations and funders critical of and working to tackle industrial animal agriculture, especially concerning low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These questions focus on topics that they would most like academic researchers to address and answer.
Every ‘burning question’ is complex and multifaceted. It would be foolish to believe that there is a single, simple, definitive answer to a question.
Addressing these questions requires welding together many pieces of nuanced, contextualized information, research findings, and perspectives drawn from a broad knowledge base, a rich knowledge bank of studies by academic researchers. It also requires extracting key messages from these studies.
This welding and extracting endeavor is arduous. But, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. We hope that our curated series of key messages – named Beacon – will serve as a beacon, guiding all those keen to take the first step.
Who's the audience?
Those who have contributed to the ‘burning questions’, those who are curious about these questions, those who are interested in using the research undertaken by academics to address the questions.
Anyone can access Beacon on our website. It is easy to read and understand. No academic jargon!
What's in it?
Each issue contains 6-8 main items. These are works by academic researchers in peer-reviewed journals from the past couple of years. Also included are reports written for Tiny Beam Fund by recipients of its Burning Questions Initiative fellowship awards (they are all PhD holders or PhD students close to obtaining their degrees). 1-2 ‘Brief mention’ non-academic reports may also be included.
April 2026
Six works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Livestock systems everywhere becoming more capitalist. 2) Importance of maintaining local breeds' genetics in LMICs. 3) Mongolia dairy farmers' decisions to reduce GHG emission. 4) Industrial livestock production expanding in Mexico. 5) Food systems priorities in Africa. 6) Chinese investments' role in Argentina animal agriculture.
December 2025
Seven works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Power of agrifood firms sabotages consumers' agency and choice. 2) Using diverse types of data to reveal aquaculture development in 150 countries. 3) Pollution and conflicts caused by industrial pig and poultry production in Yucatan. 4) Large livestock companies in China and the US use different business models. 5) Urgent need for livestock systems that are climate-friendly and socially fair. 6) Big players own industrial broiler production in Brazil, Mexico, India, China. 7) Development banks drive animal agriculture GHG emissions in sub-Saharan Africa.
August 2025
Seven works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Context is key to changing global livestock systems. 2) BRICS government support of big meat “national champion” firms. 3) New database of fishmeal and fish oil factories in 63 countries. 4) Structural developments supported industrial animal agriculture in China. 5) All parts of industrial poultry system contribute to avian flu epidemics. 6) Public development banks’ role in Vietnam’s animal farming. 7) Resisting beekeeping industrialization with insights from Mexico.
April 2025
Six works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Not easy to industrialize animal agriculture in Kazakhstan. 2) Livestock sector is not hit by meat analog's growth in Korea. 3) Mariculture's adverse impacts on wild environment and lives. 4) Senegal's import ban benefits smaller scale broiler producers. 5) Power dynamics within Indonesia's laying hen industry. 6) Economic and financial drivers of livestock industries in LMICs.
December 2024
Seven works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Industrial animal agriculture's many facets. 2) Powerful meat industry does not pay for harms caused. 3) Market value of farmed animals globally. 4) Local impact of farming shrimp in India for export. 5) Vegetarian advocacy in China faced backlash. 6) JBS's profits benefit top execs, not workers and Brazil society. 7) Beef industry's growth in South Africa can hurt smallholders.
August 2024
Seven works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Factors shaping chicken and egg consumption in India. 2) Certification's impact on shrimp farming in Vietnam. 3) A political economic perspective on transforming the food system. 4) Feed production for pigs and chickens in Thailand. 5) The broader impacts of the farmed salmon industry's use of technical metrics. 6) Diverse groups tackling mega meat farms in Latin America. 7) Two approaches to improve farm animal welfare in Europe.
April 2024
Eight works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Global poultry genetics companies' power in Africa. 2) Diets in LMICs shaped by complex food environment. 3) Tradeoffs required to make livestock systems climate-friendly. 4) Asian industrial broiler production's wide range of problems. 5) EU food strategies can improve LMICs' animal welfare. 6) Tactics to sell industrial chicken products in Guatemala. 7) Egypt's poultry industry harbors avian flu and gets subsidies. 8) Problematic claims made by dairy companies in China.
October 2023
Eight works by academics are featured and they cover these topics: 1) Government policies shaping aquaculture. 2) Industrial livestock production in China. 3) Large investors' interest in animal welfare. 4) Environmental pressures from different foods. 5) Implementing international animal welfare standards. 6) Cage-free egg production in China. 7) Game meat production in South Africa. 8) Meat consumption reduction in Brazil.
