An ecofeminist perspective on new food technologies

Authors

  • Angela Lee University of Ottawa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i1.226

Keywords:

ecofeminism, biotechnology, in vitro meat, GE animals, novel foods

Abstract

New food technologies are touted by some to be an indispensable part of the toolkit when it comes to feeding a growing population, especially when factoring in the growing appetite for animal products. To this end, technologies like genetically engineered (GE) animals and in vitro meat are currently in various stages of research and development, with proponents claiming a myriad of justificatory benefits. However, it is important to consider not only the technical attributes and promissory possibilities of these technologies, but also the worldviews that are being imported in turn, as well as the unanticipated social and environmental consequences that could result. In addition to critiquing dominant paradigms, the inclusive, intersectional ecofeminist perspective presented here offers a different way of thinking about new food technologies, with the aim of exposing inherent biases, rejecting a view of institutions like science and law as being objective, and advancing methods and rationales for a more explicitly ethical form of decision-making. Alternative and marginalized perspectives are especially valuable in this context, because careful reflection on the range of concerns implicated by new food technologies is necessary in order to better evaluate whether or not they can contribute to the building of a more sustainable and just food system for all.

artistically manipulated image of a woman breastfeeding her child on an airplain

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Published

2018-02-16

How to Cite

Lee, A. (2018). An ecofeminist perspective on new food technologies. Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 5(1), 63–89. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i1.226

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2018): Special Issue: A spotlight on feminist food studies

Section

Research Articles

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