Category Archives: vegetarianism

When Vegetarianism Was Patriotic

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

I snapped this picture at MOMA over the weekend: It’s a World War II propaganda poster for the British War Office / Ministry of Food. The caption says, “A vegetable dish made with dried eggs or household milk is as … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics, public policy, values, vegetarianism | Comments Off on When Vegetarianism Was Patriotic

Food Unites Us, and Tears us Apart

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

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 →

Posted in choice, ethics, meat, values, vegetarianism | 1 Comment

Waste Not, Want Not: Nutria as Ethical Fur (and Meat?)

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

This story isn’t about food, really, but it could have been. It’s about the use of fur from the toothy beast known as the nutria (a.k.a. swamp rat) in the world of fashion, and the attempt to market its pelt … Continue reading →

Posted in animal rights, ecosystems, ethics, meat, vegetarianism | 4 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

The Right to Know What I’m Eating

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

In the debate over the labelling (or non-labelling) of genetically-modified foods, one of the most common refrains is that consumers “have a right to know” what they’re eating. I’ve commented briefly on that here before. (See “Should Companies Label Genetically … Continue reading →

Posted in consumerism, GMO, labeling, restaurants, safety, values, vegetarianism | 35 Comments

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

Meat Production and Utopian Fantasies

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Meat production is perhaps the big ethical issue in the realm of food. Not that long ago, vegetarianism and veganism were the domain of hippies and university undergraduates, but not any longer. Now that the ecological impact of meat production … Continue reading →

Posted in consumerism, ecosystems, environment, farmers, meat, public policy, vegan, vegetarianism | 5 Comments

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