- Chris MacDonald is a Toronto-based ethicist, professor, speaker and consultant.
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Monthly Archives: January 2011
Would You Like Your Synthetic Meat GM or Non-GM?
This news story is not exactly news. We already know that synthetic meat is under development in various labs around the world. But it does raise a fresh issue or two. By Harriet McLeo, for Reuters: South Carolina scientist works … Continue reading
Posted in animal welfare, biotechnology, ethics, genes, GMO, industrial, meat, natural, science, synthetic meat, values
9 Comments
When Vegetarianism Was Patriotic
I snapped this picture at MOMA over the weekend: It’s a World War II propaganda poster for the British War Office / Ministry of Food. The caption says, “A vegetable dish made with dried eggs or household milk is as … Continue reading
Posted in ethics, public policy, values, vegetarianism
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Using, Regulating and Testing for Antibiotics in Milk
Here’s an interesting story about efforts to regulate competitive behaviour in the food industry: By William Neuman, for the NYT: F.D.A and Dairy Industry Spar Over Testing of Milk Each year, federal inspectors find illegal levels of antibiotics in hundreds … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, factory farms, health, milk, regulation, safety
2 Comments
Fast Food Beef: What Matters?
According to emoneydaily.com, McDonald’s is raising prices to reflect increases in the cost of beef: McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen said, “As commodity and other cost pressures become more pronounced as we move throughout the year, we will … Continue reading
Global Food Crisis
While many of us in the wealthier parts of the world are busy arguing about just which sub-type of organic lettuce we’re using in our salads, or whether we ought to take an “animal rights” approach versus an “animal welfare” … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, international, public policy
3 Comments
The Farmed Salmon Feed Controversy & Consumer Responsibility
Here’s an interesting video & writeup about the controversy over the production of fishmeal for the feeding of farmed salmon. From The Ecologist: farmed salmon feed controversy. The video & accompanying text focus on Peru, and in particularly on the … Continue reading
Posted in choice, consumerism, ethics, fisheries, regulation, values
2 Comments
Horse Meat (again)
Two days ago I blogged about Horse Meat Ethics. I discussed the fact that eating horse is considered taboo (in many places), and that slaughtering horses is illegal in the U.S., despite the fact that a) horse is widely eaten … Continue reading
Posted in activism, agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, meat, values
1 Comment
Horse Meat Ethics
In case you didn’t know, slaughtering horses for human consumption is legal in Canada (where I live), but illegal in the U.S. That’s not to say that eating horses is common in Canada. Far from it. But it is apparently … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, law, meat
9 Comments
Seafood Certification for Iceland
Fisheries are undeniably an important part of the global food supply. Whether they are, 20 years from now, a smaller or larger part of that supply depends chiefly on whether they are managed in a sustainable way. Doing so isn’t … Continue reading
Posted in certifiction, fisheries, international
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Wildlife Farming in Vietnam
This is an interesting bit about value conflict. In particular, it’s about the dangers of focusing on “natural” foods, when those “natural” foods are either endangered or en route to being so. Here’s the story, by Rachel Nuwer, for Science: … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ethics, health claims, marketing, meat, organic, public policy, values, wildlife
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