- Chris MacDonald is a Toronto-based ethicist, professor, speaker and consultant.
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Category Archives: values
The Farmed Salmon Feed Controversy & Consumer Responsibility
Here’s an interesting video & writeup about the controversy over the production of fishmeal for the feeding of farmed salmon. From The Ecologist: farmed salmon feed controversy. The video & accompanying text focus on Peru, and in particularly on the … Continue reading
Posted in choice, consumerism, ethics, fisheries, regulation, values
2 Comments
Horse Meat (again)
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
Wildlife Farming in Vietnam
This is an interesting bit about value conflict. In particular, it’s about the dangers of focusing on “natural” foods, when those “natural” foods are either endangered or en route to being so. Here’s the story, by Rachel Nuwer, for Science: … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ethics, health claims, marketing, meat, organic, public policy, values, wildlife
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Children, Food, and Indoctrination
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
Food Unites Us, and Tears us Apart
As my American friends prepare for Thanksgiving, it’s interesting to note the dual cultural tendencies of food to unite us and to divide us. This past Sunday, over at my Business Ethics Blog, I posted what has turned out to … Continue reading
Are Self-Righteous Foodies Self-Defeating?
Here’s a lovely, thoughtful piece from NYT food blogger Peter Meehan: Grass Fed | A Few Beefs The piece consists of 3 anecdotes. In each, Meehan — himself a serious foodie — is either subjected to, or sees someone else … Continue reading
Food Eco Labels vs Legislation
When is choice good? Do labels do enough to help us make good choices? When is legislation required? Should legislation facilitate good decisions, or force them? See this story, by Harry Wallop, for the Daily Telegraph: Food eco labels not … Continue reading
Posted in certifiction, choice, environment, ethics, labeling, regulation, values
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“Yes Please” and “No Thanks” to Animal Welfare Labels
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
In Praise of Industrialized Food
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
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
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