Jim Mason is an author and attorney who focuses on human/animal concerns. His latest book, co-authored with ethicist Peter Singer, is ‘The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter’ (Rodale Press, 2006). The authors trace the foods eaten by three American families back to their sources and explore the ethical questions that arise along the way. The book discusses factory farming and alternatives, fair trade, buying local, organic farming, commercial fishing, and other food matters of concern to consumers today.
Jim Mason
Abstract and Keywords
Our worldview is made of animals. Our views of animals determine how we see nature—the living world, as well as our part in it. Pre-agricultural peoples were intrigued by animals, their behaviors, and powers. In these totemic societies, animals were seen as First Beings, ancestors, and there was … READ MORE
Every October at Hale’s 5-H Ranch and Drive Thru Animal Park [perhaps since renamed the 5-H Animal Auction in Jackson, MO] just north of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the Hale family conducts the largest animal auction of its kind in the world. For four days, the Hale brothers auction off tropical … READ MORE
An important meeting of animal rights advocates and animal agribusiness people was held September 10, 1981, in Des Moines, Iowa. Arranged by the Livestock Conservation Institute ostensibly “to define the issues,” the meeting brought out representatives from the veterinary and animal sciences communities, farm bureaus, animal commodity groups, and agricultural … READ MORE
Kansas City, Missouri: city of fur traffic, cattle drives, stockyards, slaughterhouses, and steakhouses, a metropolis built from the backs, blood, and bones of animals—not exactly Miami Beach for an animal activist.
In March of this year, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) held its annual meeting and trade show in Kansas … READ MORE
Like a great ship at sea, the animal protection movement is going through another change in the weather. Strong, favorably directed gusts of new ideas are kicking up controversies, problems, and confusion. To try to keep on course, we should grapple with these as they arise. There is some confusion, … READ MORE
Innovation and technology are doing big things for animal welfare and the health of the planet. Meatless burgers from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are now mainstream in a way few could have imagined 20 or 30 years ago. Fermentation is being used to make dairy products without … READ MORE
Oregon is in the midst of a factory farming crisis. These facilities, where thousands of animals are confined in cramped and filthy conditions, are harming animals and polluting the state’s air and water. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a member of the Stand Up to Factory Farms coalition, which … READ MORE
When Amber Husain was 26, she was preparing a piece of chicken for a friend to eat and was overcome by an unfamiliar feeling. A lifelong meat-eater, suddenly she was disgusted by what was in front of her. “I was just handling it and it felt so weird and horrible,” … READ MORE
There are a lot of food and agriculture issues that don’t get the attention they deserve. For example, a study in the journal One Health examines the link between urinary tract infections (UTIs)—which can quickly turn serious and result in more than 1 million emergency room visits a year—and animal … READ MORE
Antimicrobial resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. Here’s what can be done about it. As the world recovers from COVID-19, and bird flu decimates wild and farmed birds, the link between food production and pandemic risk has never been clearer.