Food Ethics: Exploring Moral Issues in Food Systems

In this first week's module, we examine some of the key empirical data regarding the treatment of animals in the Industrial Food System (IFS). We then introduce our first ethical framework, Utilitarianism, and consider whether and why someone might adopt it. We conclude with an optional Side Dish called "The Beef about Beef," which takes a closer look at how cows are born, weaned, finished, killed, and finally processed into beef.

In this Second Dish, we conclude our discussion of Utilitarianism and begin our examination of non-consequentialist frameworks, focusing on Kant's views regarding the rights of non-human animals. In the optional Side Dish, we serve up discussions of mealworms, insects, and "cultivated" meat, with a special focus on the work of the Good Food Institute.

The Third Dish gives us a taste of two additional ethical frameworks: Divine Command Theory and Virtue Ethics. We also consider other ways in which religious identity might shape our relationship to food. In the optional Side Dish, we offer lectures and interviews that provide a taste of the non-western ethical traditions that originated in India (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism).

In this Dish, we turn our attention to the ways in which the food system affects human beings. We focus on food injustice, diet-related diseases, and the historically racist elements of the American foodscape. We then dig into ethical reflections about how to promote food justice. In the optional Side Dish, we focus on justice for farmworkers in particular.

In this Dish, we explore arguments for what we call the "Ithaca-Hopewell Model," which focuses on local, sustainable foods as alternatives to the industrial food system. We examine various examples of this model and consider objections to it. In the optional Side Dish, we zoom in on New Jersey, with interviews featuring farmers, cider-makers, doctors, and theologians who are making a difference using food.

In this final dish, we consider issues concerning the politics and culture of food, including food guidelines, government regulation, and industry influence. We also examine the conflict between ethical principles and cultural traditions, and the question of whether people have a "right" to adequate nutrition. We end with reflections on how individuals can make a difference in food ethics and justice. The optional Side Dish focuses on the organic vs. conventional debate.