1. Food Ethics in Everyday Food Consumption
Christian Coff
Agronomist, PhD in Philosophy
University College Zealand, Denmark E:
18th International Ethnological Food Research Conference, Finland, August 2010

2. Food as an ethical relationship - outline of presentation
Relationships between ethics, food and eating
Perceptions of food ethics
Semiotic model on communication on food
Everyday food ethical concerns

3. Food ethics - some topics
Agricultural ethics
Biotechnology
Feeding
Hunger
Marketing, trade and labelling
Animal welfare
Food laws, regulations and governance
Food safety
Food consumption
Health

4. Ethics
The possibility of ”offending” or ”doing harm” has been suggested as indicators of whether ethics is involved or not (Platon) - or “consciousness of injustice” (Axel Honneth)
Ethics belong to practical philosophy: it concerns the relationship between two or more parties
Ethics is about reasoning/judging about rights and wrongs
Many ethical schools; for instance virtue ethics (Aristotle), hedonism, deontological ethics (Kant), consequentialism, utilitarianism etc. 4

5. Food as a relationship Food originate ultimately from nature:
Harvested wilderness or
Domesticated animals/plants/micro organisms
Transformation: from natural to cultural
food processing, food handling and cooking
from uneatable to eatable
Our eating habits form the landscape,
working conditions in the food sector, the environment, climate, animal welfare, family structures, identity . . .

6. Food as a relationship Eating: a process of transformation:
In-corporation
Digestion (pepsis)
In-carnation
The outer world is transformed to human body
Cooking: preparing food for oneself and others
The meal: from egoism to community

7. Food ethics The vision of the good life with and for others
in fair food production and consumption practices
Based on the French philosopher Paul Ricœur’s understanding of ethics in Soi-même comme un autre (1991)

8. Main areas in food ethics
Food security (food for all)
Food safety (non-contaminated food)
Nutritional values (health, modified foods like functional food etc.)
The production history (Ethical questions raised by production practices and conditions in the food chain)
What about taste?

9. Food ethics and time
The past: Food ethics stretches backwards:
Towards the living nature that the food comes from and towards the production practices under which the food has been produced
Present: Decisions, choices
The future: Food ethics stretches forwards:
Towards the future consumers of the food

10. Situating food ethics in everyday life
The common meal (family, friends, community, network, business, religious ceremonies etc)
Shopping food and cooking
Catering outlets
Cases where food ethics is not/should not be an issue?

11. Ten food ethical concerns
Animal welfare
Human health and well-being
Methods of production and processing and their impact (e.g., environmental, landscape)
Terms of trade (fair price, etc.)
Working conditions
Quality (intrinsic qualities such as taste, composition, etc.)
Origin and place
Trust
Voice (participation)
Transparency
(Coff et al: Ethical Traceability and Communicating Food, 2008)

12. Everyday food ethics in a semiotic perspective
Charles Sanders Pierce’s triadic relation and food according to Middellthon:
Supplier of food: producer, retailer, catering outlets, parents, families, friends, hosts . . .
Receiver of food: friends, families, customers, patients, participants in conferences
(Inspired by Middelthon, Anne-Lise: ”Når maden bliver frelser eller bøddel”. In Glasdam, Stinne: Folkesundhed i et kritisk perspektiv. Nyt nordisk forlag, 2009, pp )
Supplier of food - food itself - receiver of food

13. Food (qualities, values …)
Pierce’s model
Object
Sign
’Interpretant’
Understandings of food
Food (qualities, values …)
Food (qualities, values . . .)
Food sign (trace)
Interpretant:
Supplier of food
Food sign (trace)
Interpretant:
Receiver of food

14. Same food - different understandings
Food (qualities, values . . .)
Food (qualities, values )
Food
Sign (trace)
Interpretant:
Supplier of food
Interpretant:
Receiver of food
Potential moral conflicts: identity, culture, tradition, prestige etc.

15. Food communicating ethics
Information and communication
Voice
Taste and sensation
Supplier
Production history;
Sustainability and
responsibility
Food sign
Food safety
Receiver
Service
Convenience
Health and well-being
Culture and tradition
Food security

16. Exchange of understandings of food
Food sign
Food qualities
Receiver of food
Food sign
Supplier of food

17. Thank you for your attention