Gene Baur
April 13, 2026Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, has been hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by TIME magazine and named one of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 Givers. Since the mid-1980s, he has worked to raise awareness about factory farming abuses and promote a just, compassionate, and sustainable food system.
Growing up in Hollywood, Gene appeared in McDonald’s television commercials. However, as his knowledge of factory farming grew, Gene became vegan and determined to fight the cruelty of animal agriculture.
A pioneer in undercover investigations and animal rescue, Gene has visited hundreds of farms, stockyards, and slaughterhouses, documenting the deplorable conditions. His pictures and videos exposing cruelty have aired around the world, educating millions, and his rescue work has inspired an international farm sanctuary movement.
Gene was instrumental in passing the first U.S. laws prohibiting cruel farming practices and securing the first-ever cruelty conviction at a U.S. stockyard. His work has been covered by major media organizations, and in far-reaching interviews, he has found common ground on the issue of factory farming with diverse hosts, including Jon Stewart and Tucker Carlson. Gene is the author of two bestsellers, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food (Simon and Schuster, 2008) and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life (Rodale, 2015). Committed to a healthy plant-based lifestyle, he has competed in marathons and triathlons, including a full Ironman distance (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run).
Gene holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge, and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.
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