Category Archives: animal welfare

Ethics of the World’s First Synthetic Burger

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Chris MacDonald

So, the world’s first synthetic burger has been cultured, minced, fried and consumed. (Mark Post, the scientist who conceived of and grew the synthetic burger, had announced a year and a half ago his near-term intention to produce and test … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, biotechnology, ethics, factory farms, meat, natural, science | 4 Comments

Bigger Birds

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

Innovation isn’t always good for everyone. See this blog entry about how artificial insemination has allowed the turkey industry to triple the average size of a turkey over the last 50 years: Give Thanks? Science Supersized Your Turkey Dinner. (The … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, breeding, factory farms, meat, science | Comments Off on Bigger Birds

Ethics of Eating Meat

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

A recent Toronto Star piece on the ethics of eating meat quotes me, briefly, on the topic of lab-grown meat (something I’ve blogged about before). The main point of the article, however, is to make an attempt to marshall a … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, choice, health, kids, meat, nutrition | 3 Comments

No Ethical Obligation to Label Pink Slime

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

So, unfortunately, we now all know what “pink slime” is. It’s the ‘lean finely textured beef‘ (LFTB) that is produced by mashing and sterilizing scraps of beef. It looks disgusting, and the production process is unappealing. But then the same … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare, choice, industrial, labeling, meat | Comments Off on No Ethical Obligation to Label Pink Slime

Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

Sonja Puzic, for CTVNews.ca, asks: Would you eat meat grown in a test tube? When a Dutch scientist declared last month that he could have the world’s first lab-grown hamburger on the grill by October, the Internet was abuzz with … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, biotechnology, genetic modification, GMO, industrial, meat, science, synthetic meat, values | Comments Off on Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

The Complex Politics of Food Ethics

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

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 →

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Canada Geese for NYC Homeless: Yes

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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

Things that Matter: Drug Residue in Chinese Pork

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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?

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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

Would You Like Your Synthetic Meat GM or Non-GM?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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