Problematizing “ethical eating”: the role of policy in an ethical food system

ABSTRACT

The concept of “ethical eating” has become prominent within public discourse. It refers to a form of ethical consumption whereby consumers can feel that they have directly impacted the food system through their food choices. However, the terms and practices often used to define “ethical eating” are incomplete and exclude other ethical issues within the food system that are more complex and have less clear solutions than those offered through ethical consumption. Through a content analysis of 100 newspaper and magazine articles discussing the practice of “ethical eating,” as well as a review of literature on this topic, this article argues that issues within the food system cannot be solved through ethical consumption alone. Instead, there must be an increased role for public policy to address ethical concerns within the food system. Through examining organic, meat-avoidant, fair trade, and local diets as the most frequently mentioned terms associated with “ethical eating,” three case studies are presented highlighting the tensions associated with access to eating ethically, Indigenous food sovereignty, and production of ethical food. This paper argues that addressing these ethical issues requires public policy to tackle the root causes and ensure all are served within the food system.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethical eating
• public policy
• organic
• food insecurity
• plant-based
• Indigenous
• food sovereignty
• fair trade
• local food

Acknowledgments

This paper would not have been possible without the many mentors, colleagues, and friends who provided invaluable advice and encouragement throughout this process. My immense gratitude first and most importantly to Dr. Cecilia Rocha for her mentorship throughout this project. A deep gratitude always to Dr. Adrian De Leon for believing in this article long before it was ever written. Additional thanks to Dr. Fiona Yeudall, Dr. Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Dr. John Shields, and Dr. Janet Lum for their feedback on this research in all its previous iterations. Thank you as well to Natasha Ramoutar for her support in this process. And finally, thank you to all those who have generously taken the time to edit and provide vital feedback on this paper: Anum Dhalwani, Clara Bradley, Sarah Edmunds, Chantel Cole, Stephanie Croisiere, Jazba Singh, Ling Lam, and Stephanie Spagnuolo.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniela Spagnuolo

Daniela Spagnuolo is a Policy Advisor, an experienced researcher, and a community organizer. Her research focuses on food policy, sexual and reproductive health rights, and municipal policy. Daniela received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto Scarborough in International Development Studies and Political Science and holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from X University.