Category Archives: agriculture

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

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 →

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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

Ethical Birthing for Calves & the Micromanagement of Farming

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

If you thought the only ethical issue about the treatment of calves was the way veal calves are raised, think again. Here’s the story, from TVNZ: Calf-killing practice sparks mixed debate. A Close Up poll of almost 10,000 people tonight … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, consumerism, ethics, farmers, values | 1 Comment

Natural Chicken

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

When is a “natural chicken” not a natural chicken, and what does that mean, anyway? Here’s the story, from Food Safety News: The Truth Behind ‘Natural’ Chicken A disagreement among poultry producers about whether chicken injected with salt, water, and … Continue reading →

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Milk and Meat from the Offspring of Clones

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

OK, so lots of people are put off by the idea of eating cloned cows or pigs, or drinking the milk of cloned cows. Some of those people have genuine ethical concerns; others are just subject to the “yuck factor.” … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, biotechnology, cloning, ethics, international, regulation, science | 2 Comments

Ethics, Ideology, & Synthetic Meat

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

See this blog entry (at The Atlantic) by James McWilliams, Eating (Synthetic) Animals …one issue to which concerned consumers have generally turned a tin ear is “in-vitro meat.” Although the cost is currently prohibitive, the technology is widely available to … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, biotechnology, science, synthetic meat | 1 Comment

Cloned Animals, Food, Ethics

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

I guess it was inevitable. Given Europe’s history of mistrusting genetically-modified foods, you had to know that the idea of cloned foods was going to have a rough time there. Here’s the story, by James Kanter, writing for the NY … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, cloning, ecosystems, genes, public policy, regulation, science | 2 Comments

Study: Intensive Agriculture is Good

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Is intensive agriculture good or bad? Was the Green Revolution one of the best, or one of the worst, things ever to happen on this planet? In that regard, check out this article by Richard Black, for the BBC: Green … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, carbon, ecosystems, green revolution | Comments Off on Study: Intensive Agriculture is Good