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About Chris MacDonald

I'm a Philosophy professor who teaches at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Canada. Most of my scholarly research is on business ethics and healthcare ethics.

The Complex Politics of Food Ethics

Posted on February 11, 2012

Here’s a useful short piece by James McWilliams, writing for The Atlantic: Meat: What Big Agriculture and the Ethical Butcher Have in Common I’ve repeatedly argued that supporting alternatives to the industrial production of animal products serves the ultimate interest … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, meat, values | Leave a comment

Sources of Calories and Diet-Industry Ethics

Posted on January 29, 2012

This is interesting, and confirms my non-scientist’s suspicion. It turns out that (at least according to this one study) calories count, but not where they come from. The basic finding is that if you’re trying to lose weight, what matters … Continue reading →

Posted in calories, diets, ethics, health, nutrition | 7 Comments

Backyard Chicken Ethics

Posted on January 25, 2012

As far as food goes, you can’t get much more “local” than raising chickens in your own backyard. But many cities forbid the practice. Zoning laws generally prescribe where you can and cannot raise animals for food. But such laws … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, kids, law, local, urban farming, values | 2 Comments

Paula Deen’s Ethics

Posted on January 19, 2012

Paula Deen is under fire for failing to announce promptly enough that she has Type 2 diabetes. My first impression: The kind of food Deen promoted was unhealthy 5 years ago. It was unhealthy the day she was diagnosed. It … Continue reading →

Posted in diets, ethics, health, media | 2 Comments

Pricing Whales

Posted on January 14, 2012

Is it a good idea, or a bad idea, for whale advocates to put their money where their mouths are? From Wired: A Market Proposal for Saving Whales Despite the best efforts of activists, more whales are killed now than … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics | 4 Comments

Horse Meat Controversy

Posted on December 22, 2011

CTV News reported yesterday that a hidden-camera video has spurred new calls for a ban on horse meat in Canada: Animal rights groups are calling for a ban on the sale of horse meat after disturbing video at a slaughterhouse … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics | 2 Comments

The Ethics of the Cost of Ethical Food

Posted on September 25, 2011

It’s bad if high prices get in the way of eating a) well or b) ethically, and there are plenty of myths about both. And today alone I’ve read two interesting pieces on the price of food. First, the NYT’s … Continue reading →

Posted in consumerism, ethics, farmers markets, local, marketing, organic, prices, values | 3 Comments

Price of a Cocktail

Posted on September 24, 2011

Of all the ethical issues involved in producing, transporting, marketing, and selling food, pricing is one of the least-well explored. Issues of pricing are essentially absent from the academic literature on business ethics, for example, presumably because for “standard” products, … Continue reading →

Posted in alcohol, marketing, prices, restaurants | 1 Comment

Store Does End-Run Around Egg Safety

Posted on June 27, 2011

Here’s a chuckle, and a caution: Store sells cartons, gives away eggs A health food store in eastern P.E.I. is looking for a way around health regulations after provincial officials told them to stop selling eggs they buy from local … Continue reading →

Posted in certifiction, ethics, health, law, marketing, safety | 3 Comments

Canada Geese for NYC Homeless: Yes

Posted on June 24, 2011

This is such an obviously-good idea that I’m not sure why it’s even news. Activist says feeding homeless with geese ‘ethical’ A Virginia-based locavore activist says New York City is doing the “ethical thing” by sending its culled Canada Geese … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, animal rights, animal welfare, sustainability, wildlife | 1 Comment