Corporate Decisions about Labelling Genetically Modified Foods

Journal of Business Ethics 75 (2):181-189 (2007)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

This paper considers whether individual companies have an ethical obligation to label their Genetically Modified (GM) foods. GM foods and ingredients pervade grocery store shelves, despite the fact that a majority of North Americans have worries about eating those products. The market as whole has largely failed to respond to consumer preference in this regard, as have North American governments. A number of consumer groups, NGO’s, and activist organizations have urged corporations to label their GM products. This paper asks whether, in such a situation, individual corporations can be ethically required to take such unilateral action. We argue that they cannot. Given the lack of solid evidence for any risk to human health, and the serious market disadvantage almost surely associated with costly unilateral action, no individual company has an ethical obligation to label its GM foods.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Does autonomy count in favor of labeling genetically modified food?Kirsten Hansen - 2004 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 17 (1):67-76.
You are what you eat: Genetically modified foods, integrity, and society. [REVIEW]Assya Pascalev - 2003 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 16 (6):583-594.
The transatlantic rift in genetically modified food policy.Celina Ramjoué - 2007 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 20 (5):419-436.
Uses of Genetically Modified Foods.Joseph Jilka - 2001 - The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 1 (4):507-517.
Food Labels, Autonomy, and the Right to Know.Matteo Bonotti - 2014 - Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 24 (4):301-321.
Sharing communion: hunger, food, and genetically modified foods.Robert Song - 2004 - In Stanley Hauerwas & Samuel Wells (eds.), The Blackwell companion to Christian ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell. pp. 388.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
61 (#237,812)

6 months
4 (#319,344)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Chris MacDonald
Ryerson University

References found in this work

Labeling products of biotechnology: Towards communication and consent.Debra Jackson - 2000 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 12 (3):319-330.

Add more references