Category Archives: animal welfare

Horse Meat (again)

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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

PETA and Fur in Canada

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

This one isn’t strictly about food, but the relevance is pretty clear. The question: in a nation (i.e., Canada) built, once upon a time, on the fur trade, can a politician wrap his family in fur and win a public … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, animal rights, animal welfare, ethics | 1 Comment

A (Uniquely?) Ethical Dairy Farm

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

When it comes to marketing food these days, few buzzwords seem to carry more weight than that simple 6-letter word, “ethics.” See this story, from the BBC: A new ethical farm opens at Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishnas at Bhaktivedanta Manor … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, religion | 3 Comments

“Yes Please” and “No Thanks” to Animal Welfare Labels

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Some people want to know more about how their food is produced. On the other hand, some people really really don’t want to know more about how their food is produced. By William Neuman, writing for the NYT: New Way … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, labeling, meat, values | 2 Comments

A Better Factory Farm?

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

A few weeks ago, I asked When is a Factory Farm Not a Factory Farm? I suggested that the problem with some factory farms (including especially the ones that played a central role in the recent salmonella outbreak) is that, … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, farmers, FDA, health, industrial, regulation, safety | 2 Comments

Peter Singer in Vegetarianism Debate

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

I’m not sure which factor does more to make this a lopsided debate: the fact that it was an audience of university students, the fact that it was a self-selected audience that probably showed up already sympathetic to one side, … Continue reading →

Posted in animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, health, meat, nutrition, vegan, vegetarianism | Comments Off on Peter Singer in Vegetarianism Debate

Peter Singer & the Reasons for Protecting Animals

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Here’s a recent piece by philosopher Peter Singer, in Forbes magazine: Animal Advocates Surpass NRA In Political Influence. …With wider public support, animal advocates gained serious political clout. By 2015 Humane USA eclipsed the National Rifle Association in the influence … Continue reading →

Posted in animal rights, animal welfare, ethics, meat, public policy, values, vegetarianism | 5 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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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