- Chris MacDonald is a Toronto-based ethicist, professor, speaker and consultant.
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Author Archives: Chris MacDonald
If you ate today, thank a farmer…and…?
Surely you’ve seen this bumper sticker: “If you ate today, thank a farmer.” That’s fine advice — farmers (of various kinds) play a key role in food production. But it’s also pretty narrow advice. It would be more accurate to … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ethics, farmers
4 Comments
Things that Matter: Drug Residue in Chinese Pork
You could tell a lot about your average foodie or food-safety advocate by asking them to list food-related issues by level of importance. Some people tend to focus on the latest feel-good trend (e.g., at least some versions of localism) … Continue reading
Posted in activism, agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, health, international, meat, safety
4 Comments
Breast Milk Ice Cream?
From the BBC: Breast milk ice cream goes on sale in Covent Garden A restaurant in London’s Covent Garden is serving a new range of ice cream, made with breast milk. The dessert, called Baby Gaga, is churned with donations … Continue reading
Posted in animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, milk, natural
1 Comment
Monsanto Wins on Sugar Beets
By Karen Gullo, for Bloomberg: Monsanto Wins Reversal of Order to Destroy Sugar Beet Plants Monsanto Co. and the U.S. Agriculture Department won reversal of a judge’s order to destroy genetically modified sugar beet seedlings planted last year, a federal … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, biotechnology, ecosystems, ethics, genetic modification, GMO, law, USDA
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Nudging College Kids to Eat Less
How do you get college freshman to avoid that first-term weight-gain known as “the Freshman 25?” What’s the right cafeteria policy? How do you balance making sure every student gets enough to meet his or her needs, without overfeeding them? … Continue reading
Caution on “Green” Claims for Organics
A major UK farmers’ organization is cautioning those of its members who grow organic foods against leaning too heavily on claims that such foods are more environmentally-friendly than non-organics. Here’s the story, by Caroline Stocks, for Farmers Weekly Interactive: Organic … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, environment, farmers, organic
1 Comment
Ethical Ranking for Tuna
Tuna. It’s the type of fish most likely to be in the average pantry at any given moment. And it is perhaps the one fish that has most clearly been turned into something very like a true commodity. On your … Continue reading
Posted in activism, aquaculture, ecosystems, endangered species, ethics, fisheries, sustainability
1 Comment
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
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