‘This is a place of death’: the fight for a meat-free world – video

Humans' relationship with animals is under greater focus than ever, as part of a drive to lessen our impact on the planet. In the UK, animal rights activists, buoyed by the rise in veganism and a developing understanding of animal sentience, have spotted an opportunity to grow what has traditionally been a fringe cause. 

The great majority of these activists are non-violent, dispensing with some of the tactics of their predecessors and aiming to harness this momentum to win hearts and minds. But can they really force the changes they are demanding? 

• This is episode one of a new series called Human Animal which looks at our relationship with animals, after the pandemic exposed just how problematic that can be.