Author Archives: Chris MacDonald

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About Chris MacDonald

I'm a philosopher who teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto, Canada. Most of my scholarly research is on business ethics and moral philosophy.

When is a Factory Farm Not a Factory Farm?

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Factory farms are often vilified, with varying degrees of justification. But sometimes, it seems to me, the problem with factory farms is that they’re just not enough like real factories. Let’s start with a report on the condition of one … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, farmers, health, industrial, safety | 2 Comments

GM Salmon: Ethics, Regulation, and Labelling

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

We are getting closer and closer to seeing genetically-modified salmon on the dinner table. When that happens (yes, “when”, not “if”) then GM salmon will be the first genetically-modified food animal to be consumed by humans. Here’s the story, Sarah … Continue reading →

Posted in aquaculture, biotechnology, ecosystems, ethics, fisheries, genetic modification, labeling, science | 3 Comments

GMO Vigilantes

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

The world of GM foods is apparently reinventing the spaghetti western. In Italy these days, the debate over GM has turned into a wild-west-style battle between vigilantes. Here’s the story, from Elisabeth Rosenthal, writing in the NYT: In the Fields … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, agriculture, biotechnology, ecosystems, environment, farmers, genetic modification, international, regulation | 10 Comments

The Ethics of “Healthy” Bacon

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

This is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here’s the start of the story, from ABC Science: ‘Healthy bacon’ patents raise questions Monsanto has filed patents that cover the feeding of animals soybeans, which have been genetically modified by the … Continue reading →

Posted in biotechnology, ethics, genetic modification, health, health claims, labeling, nutrition, science | 10 Comments

Battery Cages, Animal Welfare, and the Environment

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Seemingly simple issues seldom are, especially when it comes to food ethics. Sometimes what seems like a simple question of needing to “change how we think” or to “stop corporate greed” or “get back in touch with our food” turns … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, environment, ethics, values | Comments Off on Battery Cages, Animal Welfare, and the Environment

Organic Pesticide Food Labels?

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

When organic foods are produced using organic pesticides, should consumers be told so by means of labels? Many people think “organic” means that no pesticides have been used, but strictly speaking that’s false. “Organic” actually means that no synthetic pesticides … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, environment, farmers, labeling, organic, safety | Comments Off on Organic Pesticide Food Labels?

Should Companies Label Genetically Modified Foods?

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Since this blog is relatively new, readers may not have seen my postings (on my Business Ethics Blog) about the labelling of GM foods. (See here and here.) This is a topic I’ve given considerable thought, and have published on … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biotechnology, ecosystems, ethics, genetic modification, labeling, marketing, regulation, science | 63 Comments

Part-Time Vegetarianism

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Ethically speaking, does vegetarianism need to be an all-or-nothing thing? The current issue of Time has this piece on the topic: Weekday Vegetarians Part-time vegetarians, a.k.a. flexitarians, choose what to eat and when. The popular Meatless Monday movement, which began … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, animal welfare, environment, ethics, vegetarianism | 2 Comments

Is PepsiCo Breaking its Promise?

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Maybe keeping a promise is the real ‘Pepsi challenge.’ A few months ago, I blogged (on my Business Ethics Blog) about a decision by PepsiCo to voluntarily stop selling sugary drinks in schools by 2012. Now there seems to be … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics, kids, marketing, nutrition | 1 Comment

Does it Matter if Consumers Understand Food Labels?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

I recently expressed my doubts about the power of food labels to empower consumers across the full range of ethical issues related to food. But, at least implicitly, I accepted that nutrition labelling is the exception, the obviously-empowering form of … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, consumerism, labeling, nutrition, values | 3 Comments