EarthSave
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John Robbins (October 26, 1947 – June 11, 2025) was an American author, who popularized the links among
nutrition Nutrition is the biochemistry, biochemical and physiology, physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into Macronutrient, macro- ...
,
environmentalism Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
, and
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
. He was the author of the 1987 ''
Diet for a New America ''Diet for a New America'' is a 1987 bestselling nonfiction book by John Robbins. The book links the impacts of factory farming on human health, animal welfare and the environment, in an " animal-rights, pro-environment, vegetarian message." In ...
'', an exposé on connections between diet, physical health,
animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or Injury, harm by humans upon animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...
, and environmentalism. Robbins founded the organization EarthSave in 1988 and co-founded the Food Revolution Network with his son, Ocean, in 2011. He was a leading voice in the plant-based movement.


Biography

John Ernest Robbins was the son of Irma Robbins and
Irv Robbins Irvine "Irv" Isaac Robbins (December 6, 1917 – May 5, 2008) was a Canadian-born American businessman. He co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1945 with his partner and brother-in-law Burt Baskin. Early life Robbins was born ...
, co-founder and co-owner of
Baskin-Robbins Baskin-Robbins, Inc. is an American multinational chain of ice cream and cake specialty store, specialty shops owned by Inspire Brands. Baskin-Robbins was formed in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California. He was of Jewish descent. He had two sisters, Marsha and Erin. John graduated from the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, in 1969, and received a master's degree from
Antioch College Antioch College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection and began operating in 1852 as a non-secta ...
, in 1976. Rather than following the ice-cream parlor legacy of his father, he left the company to seek a simpler life. He and his wife Deo were married on March 10, 1967.
Ocean Robbins Ocean Robbins (born November 12, 1973) is an American entrepreneur and author, best known for his role as the co-founder of Food Revolution Network, Inc. This California-based company is dedicated to advocating for a whole foods, plant-based die ...
, their son, is the founder of Food Revolution Network. In 1987, ''Diet for a New America'' was published. In the book Robbins links the impacts of factory farming on human health, the environment, and animal welfare, to make a case for a plant-based diet. A year later he founded EarthSave. In 2001, Robbins updated and reiterated his advocacy of whole foods, plant-based diet for ethical, environmental and health reasons in the book ''The Food Revolution''. The book includes information on
organic food Organic food, also known as ecological or biological food, refers to foods and beverages produced using methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resou ...
,
genetically modified food Genetically modified foods (GM foods), also known as genetically engineered foods (GE foods), or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. G ...
, and
factory farming Intensive animal farming, industrial livestock production, and macro-farms, also known as factory farming, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to mass animal husbandry designed to maximize production while minimizing co ...
. He worked with
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
in 2002 to sue the California Milk Advisory Board over its 'happy cows' television advertisement. The Milk Advisory Board won on a technicality. His 2006 book ''Healthy at 100'', published by Random House, was printed on 100% post-consumer non-chlorine bleached paper, a first for a book from a major U.S. publisher. Robbins was on the advisory board of ''
Naked Food Magazine ''Naked Food'' is a quarterly magazine focusing on whole-food plant-based nutrition. It features health information, nutrition and food related news, recipes, interviews, events, and product, book, and film reviews. It was founded as a digital ...
'', for which he was a regular contributor of articles espousing a
plant-based diet A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. It encompasses a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of fiber-rich plant products such as vegetables ...
. John Robbins' death was reported on the Food Revolution Network on June 13, 2025. He died at his home from complications of
post-polio syndrome Post-polio syndrome (PPS, poliomyelitis sequelae) is a group of latent symptoms of poliomyelitis (polio), occurring in more than 80% of polio infections. The symptoms are caused by the damaging effects of the viral infection on the nervous syst ...
.


EarthSave

In 1988, Robbins founded EarthSave, an international, non-profit organization. The organization was born to channel the reader response to his ''Diet for a New America''. EarthSave did outreach to the non-vegetarian public, with information tables and vegetarian social activities such as vegetarian Thanksgiving potlucks, and activism on vegetarian, animal, and food system issues. EarthSave sponsored a youth-outreach group, YES (Youth for Environmental Sanity), which toured the country visiting high schools and raising awareness of the EarthSave message. EarthSave continues to promote healthy, environmentally sound food choices. As of January 2022, its head office is in
Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area around the town was home to Native Americans, who left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish beginn ...
. Earthsave Canada was established as a registered non-profit charity in
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
in March 1990.


Books

*'' Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness and the Future of Life on Earth'', (1987). *''May All Be Fed: Diet For a New World'', 1992. *''Reclaiming Our Health: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing'', 1996. *''The Awakened Heart: Meditations on Finding Harmony in a Changing World'', 1997. *''The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World'', 2001, ISBN 978‑1573241239. *''Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples'', 2006, ISBN 978‑0345490117. *''The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less'', (2010),
Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...
, 304 pages (). *''No Happy Cows: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Food Revolution'', 2012. *''Voices of the Food Revolution: You Can Heal Your Body and Your World with Food!'', (May 6, 2013)


Films

* ''
Diet for a New America ''Diet for a New America'' is a 1987 bestselling nonfiction book by John Robbins. The book links the impacts of factory farming on human health, animal welfare and the environment, in an " animal-rights, pro-environment, vegetarian message." In ...
'' (1991) featuring
Michael Klaper Michael A. Klaper (July 19, 1947) is an American physician, vegan health educator, conference and event speaker, and an author of articles and books of vegan medical advice. Graduating from medical school in 1972, Klaper became a vegan ten yea ...
, T. Colin Campbell, and John A. McDougall * ''
Super Size Me ''Super Size Me'' is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he claimed to consume o ...
'' (2004) by
Morgan Spurlock Morgan Valentine Spurlock (November 7, 1970 – May 23, 2024) was an American documentary filmmaker, writer, and television producer. He directed 23 films and was the producer of nearly 70 films throughout his career. Spurlock received acclaim f ...
has a short interview with Robbins. * ''Love Over Money'', a 2023 documentary about Robbins' life story


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, John 1947 births 2025 deaths American food writers American health and wellness writers American people of Jewish descent American non-fiction environmental writers American self-help writers Baskin–Robbins family Antioch College alumni American animal rights scholars Writers from California American veganism activists Activists from California Plant-based diet advocates Environmental advocacy groups People from Soquel, California People from Santa Cruz County, California