Category Archives: factory farms

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

Is Smaller More Ethical, or Less?

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

The food world’s fascination with small-scale production of bespoke edibles shows no sign of waning. See, for example, this piece by Emma Sturgess, for The Guardian: From small seeds grow big ideas There are David and Goliath battles in all … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, farmers, industrial, sustainability, values | Comments Off on Is Smaller More Ethical, or Less?

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

Using, Regulating and Testing for Antibiotics in Milk

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

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

Children, Food, and Indoctrination

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

A few weeks back, this video of a precocious kid talking about the ethics of food made the rounds. I wasn’t sure what to say about it. I guess it’s finally time. I don’t like to pick on kids, but … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, agriculture, children, consumerism, ethics, factory farms, farmers, genetic modification, health claims, industrial, kids, local, marketing, meat, organic, values | 4 Comments

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

Prince Charles on Impending Agricultural Doom

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Prince Charles — heir to the throne of England — has made a hobby of expressing opinions on everything from architecture to nanotechnology. For the most part, he lacks the requisite expertise to expound upon these topics, and so he … Continue reading →

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In Praise of Industrialized Food

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Check out this piece, by Rachel Laudan, in the Utne Reader: In Praise of Fast Food. (It’s worth noting right up front that the title of the piece is misleading. It’s not a defense of fast food, in the McDonalds … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, fast food, health, industrial, junk food, labour, natural, science, values | 2 Comments

Portable Food Factories

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Can the word “factory” ever be used in a food-related context in a way that doesn’t sound like a criticism? Can an chemical company ever produce something that could be welcomed by fans of local, organic agriculture? How about a … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecosystems, factory farms, industrial, labour, organic, values | Comments Off on Portable Food Factories