Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
1
WHAT I EAT IS
YOUR BUSINESS
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist who studies the differ-
ent values held by liberals and conservatives. He writes in his
2012 topic,
The Righteous Mind
, “Liberals sometimes say that reli-
gious conservatives are sexual prudes. . . . But conservatives can
just as well make fun of liberal struggles to choose a balanced
breakfast—balanced among moral concerns about free-range
eggs, fair-trade coffee, naturalness, and a variety of toxins, some
of which (such as genetically modified corn and soybeans) pose
a greater threat spiritually than biologically” (13).
A friend of ours who is also a food activist remarked in
response, “And conservatives don't care what they put in their
bodies as long as it is quick, convenient, and cheap!” Both com-
ments were made in humor, as their authors are not political
pundits, and neither of them wish to be affiliated with any one
political party. Yet there is always some truth to humor, and
food has indeed become a politically divisive topic.
People have always talked about food, but in the past it was
largely in regard to personal health, religion, taste, and afford-
ability. Now food is also a public issue in that what you eat
impacts you and all of society, making agriculture an ethical
issue. If you doubt this, go to Amazon Instant Video and search
the term “food documentary.” There you will find more than
eighteen documentaries questioning how our food is raised,
with suggestions on how to make it more ethical.
