Using the legal system to fight factory farms | Michele Merkel | TEDxManhattan Posted on June 12, 2020June 12, 2020 Michele Merkel is co-director of Food & Water Justice, the legal arm of Food & Water Watch. Food & Water Justice uses the court system to advocate for positive change and provides legal support for Food & Water Watch’s mission to ensure that the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced.