‘World Without Cows’ Turns Theaters into Town Halls for Global Food Debate

A documentary about cows might not sound like the obvious place to look for one of the year’s most urgent conversations, but the team behind “World Without Cows” is betting otherwise.

The award-winning documentary from filmmakers Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth released its official trailer Sept. 8 and announced a fall global theatrical screening tour, beginning with premiere events in Dublin on Sept. 9, London on Sept. 10, Los Angeles on Sept. 16, and New York on Sept. 18. Michael, Whitworth, and executive producer Dr. Mark Lyons are expected to attend the launch events.

Filmed over five years in 22 countries and more than 40 locations, “World Without Cows” examines the role cows play in questions surrounding climate change, food insecurity, nutrition, biodiversity, and the future of the global food system.

The film includes conversations with farmers, ranchers, scientists, and environmental experts, pushing beyond the familiar argument over whether cows are climate villains or agricultural necessities.

“The journey showed us that there is no single simple solution to the world’s greatest challenges,” Michael said. “I don’t think the world wants simple answers. It wants a better understanding of how our global food systems work, and that need has never been more urgent than it is right now.”

Whitworth said the film is designed to open conversation rather than confirm what viewers already believe.

“Our hope is that ‘World Without Cows’ creates a new baseline for how people engage in hard conversations,” he said. “The film wasn’t made to be an echo chamber. It was made to bring people together to ask difficult questions about complex issues and be open to different perspectives.”

After the premiere events, the tour will expand to select North American cities in October, including a large-scale run through America’s heartland. International screenings are also planned across South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, with the film returning to many of the places where it was shot.

Most stops will pair the documentary with panel discussions, turning the screenings into public forums for farmers, ranchers, scientists, students, educators, environmental advocates, food and agriculture communities, and moviegoers. Through a partnership with Gathr, communities can also request local screenings. The film will be available in more than 25 languages.

“Cows have become a symbol in the climate conversation, but the reality is far more complex,” Lyons said. “By exploring this issue from many angles and in such diverse geographies, the filmmakers give us a much more insightful and hopeful outlook than we might have expected.”

View the exclusive trailer link of “World Without Cows.”