Invited Publications by Joey Tuminello
NYU Press Blog, 2024
This is adapted from a discussion between Jonathan Safran Foer and myself that took place in Janu... more This is adapted from a discussion between Jonathan Safran Foer and myself that took place in January 2022. Because of the conversational nature of the piece, it's helpful to share some background information on some of the topics and sources that we discuss below. Jonathan's 2009 book Eating Animals traces his personal journey through food ethics and presents what many consider the most important popular critique of industrial animal agriculture (or "factory farming") that's been published in America. His 2019 follow-up We Are The Weather expands on the environmental dimensions of the production and consumption of animal products, and Jonathan's 2020 op-eds in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The New York Times underscore the critical nature of this discussion in the context of COVID-19 and concerns regarding future pandemics. In Eating Animals, Jonathan spotlights the work of Farm Forward, "a sustainable-farming and farmedanimal advocacy organization that is charting new paths toward a food system that reflects our diverse values." Founded in 2007, Farm Forward is the first nonprofit in the United States devoted exclusively to ending factory farming. Through their efforts to change farming, agricultural policy, and narratives about animals and animal agriculture, Farm Forward "improves the lives of more than 400,000,000 farmed animals annually." As part of their work to invite people to join in productive dialogue on agricultural reform, Farm Forward has organized the annual Jonathan Safran Foer Virtual Visit since 2012, where Jonathan meets with students and other participants around the world to discuss food, animal, and environmental ethics. This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the Jonathan Safran Foer Virtual Visit series that we've been doing together. I don't think I've told you this before, but I started graduate school in 2010 at Colorado State University-the year after Eating Animals was published. I didn't know much about animal ethics or environmental issues then, but I ended up at a good place to learn about those topics, especially since I was working with the late animal ethicist Professor Bernie Rollin. That year when
Journal Articles by Joey Tuminello
Food, Culture & Society, 2023
This paper identifies and examines interpretations of the ontological categories of "food" and "d... more This paper identifies and examines interpretations of the ontological categories of "food" and "drugs" in allopathic medicine, psychology, and psychiatry. I unearth some implicit interpretive modes in these fields to draw attention to emerging patterns of interpretation. I advance two central claims: First, while practitioners in these fields often interpret food and drugs as existing in a dichotomous relationship with one another, there are demonstrable shifts toward interpretations of food and drugs (in both the "medicinal" and "illicit/detrimental" senses of the term) as categories that overlap with one another. Second, practitioners in these fields ought to recognize these interpretations as interpretations, which both shape and are shaped by our collective experiences, in order to develop a greater understanding and more earnest evaluations of different ontological conceptions of the food-drug relationship.
HUMANA.MENTE Journal of Philosophical Studies, 2020
In this paper, I examine the philosophical foundations of the regulation of edible things with pa... more In this paper, I examine the philosophical foundations of the regulation of edible things with particular emphasis on interpretations of the ontological relationship between the categories of 'food' and 'drugs.' To illustrate the diversity of possible approaches to the regulation of food and drugs and their correlative ontological commitments, I focus on two different examples: the United States Food and Drug Administration's Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and the development of India's Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH).
In my examination of these two regulatory bodies, my goal is not to provide a universal or absolute answer as to how the food-drug relationship ought to be interpreted or codified within regulatory policy. Rather, I aim to provide support for the following claims: (1) these regulatory policies are undergirded by philosophical assumptions regarding the ontological relationship between the categories of food and drugs, (2) the regulatory structure of the US Food & Drug Administration rests on a dichotomous interpretation of the food-drug relationship, (3) India's Ministry of AYUSH rests on an interpretation of the food-drug relationship that understands the categories of 'food' and 'drugs' as overlapping with one another, and (4) each of these approaches to the regulation of edible things has unique advantages and disadvantages that ought to be recognized and evaluated in developing and revising policy for the regulation of edible things.
Sofia Philosophical Review, 2019
In this paper, I identify and examine various interpretations of the food-drug relationship withi... more In this paper, I identify and examine various interpretations of the food-drug relationship within nutritional science and western medicine that I classify as "dichotomous." I argue that there are detectable patterns of interpretation within nutritional science and western medicine that resemble one another to the extent that they ought to be considered as part of a cluster of dichotomous interpretations. Applying the concept of the hermeneutic circle, I illustrate the ways in which these interpretations both influence and are influenced by experiences of edible things as foods or drugs. Further, these experiences serve to reinforce or challenge prejudices regarding the relationship between the ontological categories of "food" and "drug." To illustrate this point, I discuss the role of dichotomous food-drug interpretations in undergirding skepticism regarding the possibility of food addiction and the legitimacy of continuum-based knowledge systems such as Ayurvedic medicine.
Book Chapters by Joey Tuminello
Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Diets, 2023
This chapter provides an appreciative inquiry of four organisations and five campaigns working to... more This chapter provides an appreciative inquiry of four organisations and five campaigns working to increase the adoption of planet-friendly foods
with empirical evidence gathered using an online survey tool. These are foods proven to benefit human health, contribute lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase local procurement, be culturally appropriate, and reduce animal suffering and loss of lives. Taken together, these foods could be promoted as a more sustainable diet. organisations and campaigns designed to educate and transform systems towards more sustainable, planet-friendly food services are currently under-researched. We examine their messages, the means, and methods of conducting their work and assessing their impacts and consider leverage points for systems change. In the discussion of findings, we identify points of contention and divergence, uncovering potential challenges and practical strategies, and areas for further research.
The Good it Promises, The Harm It Does: Critical Essays on Effective Altruism, 2023
While effective altruism helps influencers do good by supporting farmed animal causes, it has bee... more While effective altruism helps influencers do good by supporting farmed animal causes, it has been woefully inadequate in guiding strategies within the farmed animal space. Moreover, effective altruist funding has generated troubling consequences. Effective altruist metrics may be becoming idols rather than aides. Focusing on short-term incremental improvements, advocates are taking their eyes off the prize: the end of factory farming. The farmed animal movement has more investments than ever going into corporate campaigns, but returns have been diminishing for decades while reports of numbers of animals impacted have increased. Advocacy groups receive significant funding for incremental improvements, but other promising strategies tied to a bolder vision for systemic change remain underfunded. We don’t need to accept the factory farm as an inevitable evil and content ourselves with making it “more humane.” Funders can do enormous good within their lifetimes, but only through a willingness to confront complex social challenges.
The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Animal Ethics, edited by Andrew Linzey and Clair Linzey, 2018
This chapter presents an overview of the Jain philosophico-religious tradition in relation to its... more This chapter presents an overview of the Jain philosophico-religious tradition in relation to its views on animal ethics, followed by an examination of ascetic Jain, orthodox lay Jain, and diaspora Jain attitudes regarding treatment of animals.
Food Justice in US and Global Contexts, edited by Ian Werkheiser and Zach Piso, 2017
In this chapter, I examine the philosophical and ethical views undergirding Farm Forward, a nonpr... more In this chapter, I examine the philosophical and ethical views undergirding Farm Forward, a nonprofit animal advocacy group focused on reforming agricultural practices and ending factory farming. Specifically, I frame Farm Forward as an organization that embodies key dimensions of the pragmatist philosophical tradition. I begin by providing a brief overview of existing pragmatist work within animal ethics and describing the pragmatist concepts of pluralism, particularism, and amelioration. After placing Farm Forward's general vision for agricultural reform within this philosophical context, I review a number of the organization's recent projects to illustrate their commitment to the above pragmatist principles, as well as the progress that they have attained through particular advocacy strategies including education initiatives, public engagement, negotiations with multinational corporations, and building coalitions with other advocacy groups. Farm Forward's pragmatist approach to advocacy in agriculture, I argue, serves as an exemplary model for achieving positive change in concrete and inclusive ways.
The Future of Meat Without Animals, edited by Brianne Donaldson and Christopher Carter, 2016
In this chapter, I employ the lens of environmental justice to shed light on the human, animal, a... more In this chapter, I employ the lens of environmental justice to shed light on the human, animal, and environmental dimensions that create tension within the current trajectory of industrial animal agriculture. Framing the agricultural crisis as a cluster of environmental justice issues underscores the interconnected nature of the myriad inequities that are created and exacerbated within this system. At the same time, the theory and practice of environmental justice has largely centered on human social justice concerns. Many human communities experience institutional environmental injustices, and have rightfully benefited from work within the environmental justice movement. Yet more-than-human communities also experience environmental injustice, including farmed animals oppressed within industrial agriculture and wildlife living in areas affected by agriculture's environmental impacts. Thus, I argue that the current trajectory of industrial animal agriculture illustrates the need for approaches that include more-than-human communities within the paradigm of environmental justice, while also not losing sight of the ongoing human injustices that launched the movement, and which are also perpetuated through industrial agriculture. This need, in tandem with consumer preferences for flesh and other animal products, underscores the importance of research and development of flesh alternatives that are palatable to a diverse array of people, now and in the future. After providing an overview of the history, theory, and practice of environmental justice, I recount the current trajectory of industrial animal agriculture, situating the industrial agricultural system within the framework of environmental justice.
Encyclopedia Entries by Joey Tuminello
Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics (Second Edition), edited by Paul B. Thompson and David M. Kaplan, 2016
Assumptions regarding the relationship between the ontological categories of "food" and "drug" un... more Assumptions regarding the relationship between the ontological categories of "food" and "drug" undergird a substantial amount of academic discourse, and also function as key components in worldviews beyond the academy. Despite the prevalence of these ontological assumptions, little work has been done in foregrounding them to allow for critique and consideration of alternative perspectives. This entry provides an overview of this emerging discussion within food ontology, as well as various perspectives on the food-drug relationship and ethical implications of these views. The term "drug" is employed to refer to a broader category of substances which encompasses "medicine" while also including substances used for recreational, religious, and other non-medical purposes (e.g. drugs in the detrimental/addictive sense).
Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics, edited by Paul B. Thompson and David M. Kaplan, 2014
Environmental pragmatism is a cluster of positions within environmental philosophy that brings id... more Environmental pragmatism is a cluster of positions within environmental philosophy that brings ideas from the American philosophical pragmatist tradition to bear on methodological and theoretical issues within environmental philosophy and ethics. Environmental pragmatism began to emerge in the environmental ethics literature in the early 1980s in light of concerns over the ineffectiveness of environmental ethics on environmental policy. Animal pragmatism emerged within animal ethics and philosophy in the early 2000s, bringing pragmatist thought to bear on a variety of human-animal relationships, as well as relationships between conflicting positions on animal ethics.
Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Ethics, edited by Paul B. Thompson and David M. Kaplan, 2014
While species have historically been introduced to new areas of the world in order to be used as ... more While species have historically been introduced to new areas of the world in order to be used as food sources, many species are now being viewed as food sources subsequent to having been seen as invasive to an ecosystem. One management strategy is to encourage people to eat them. There are, however, also a number of economic, health, and legal concerns associated with eating invasive species.
Book Reviews by Joey Tuminello
Gastronomica: The Journal of Critical Food Studies, 2017
Review essay of Philosophers at Table: On Food and Being Human by Raymond Boisvert and Lisa Heldk... more Review essay of Philosophers at Table: On Food and Being Human by Raymond Boisvert and Lisa Heldke, and Appetites for Thought: Philosophers and Food by Michel Onfray
Journal of Animal Ethics, 2016
Environmental Ethics, 2015
Media Exposure by Joey Tuminello
An interview with Jamie Woodhouse for the Sentientism podcast.
An interview with Aaron Rabinowitz for his podcast Embrace the Void.
An interview with Ian Werkheiser, director of UT Rio Grande Valley's Center for Ethics and Collab... more An interview with Ian Werkheiser, director of UT Rio Grande Valley's Center for Ethics and Collaboration, for his podcast Thought About Food.
An interview with Andrea Haverkamp for the Laborwave Revolution Radio podcast.
Excerpts of a 2017 interview that I did with Nicky Ouellet at Montana Public Radio are featured i... more Excerpts of a 2017 interview that I did with Nicky Ouellet at Montana Public Radio are featured in episode 4 of the podcast Subsurface: Resisting Montana's Underwater Invaders.
Uploads
Invited Publications by Joey Tuminello
Journal Articles by Joey Tuminello
In my examination of these two regulatory bodies, my goal is not to provide a universal or absolute answer as to how the food-drug relationship ought to be interpreted or codified within regulatory policy. Rather, I aim to provide support for the following claims: (1) these regulatory policies are undergirded by philosophical assumptions regarding the ontological relationship between the categories of food and drugs, (2) the regulatory structure of the US Food & Drug Administration rests on a dichotomous interpretation of the food-drug relationship, (3) India's Ministry of AYUSH rests on an interpretation of the food-drug relationship that understands the categories of 'food' and 'drugs' as overlapping with one another, and (4) each of these approaches to the regulation of edible things has unique advantages and disadvantages that ought to be recognized and evaluated in developing and revising policy for the regulation of edible things.
Book Chapters by Joey Tuminello
with empirical evidence gathered using an online survey tool. These are foods proven to benefit human health, contribute lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase local procurement, be culturally appropriate, and reduce animal suffering and loss of lives. Taken together, these foods could be promoted as a more sustainable diet. organisations and campaigns designed to educate and transform systems towards more sustainable, planet-friendly food services are currently under-researched. We examine their messages, the means, and methods of conducting their work and assessing their impacts and consider leverage points for systems change. In the discussion of findings, we identify points of contention and divergence, uncovering potential challenges and practical strategies, and areas for further research.
Encyclopedia Entries by Joey Tuminello
Book Reviews by Joey Tuminello
Media Exposure by Joey Tuminello
In my examination of these two regulatory bodies, my goal is not to provide a universal or absolute answer as to how the food-drug relationship ought to be interpreted or codified within regulatory policy. Rather, I aim to provide support for the following claims: (1) these regulatory policies are undergirded by philosophical assumptions regarding the ontological relationship between the categories of food and drugs, (2) the regulatory structure of the US Food & Drug Administration rests on a dichotomous interpretation of the food-drug relationship, (3) India's Ministry of AYUSH rests on an interpretation of the food-drug relationship that understands the categories of 'food' and 'drugs' as overlapping with one another, and (4) each of these approaches to the regulation of edible things has unique advantages and disadvantages that ought to be recognized and evaluated in developing and revising policy for the regulation of edible things.
with empirical evidence gathered using an online survey tool. These are foods proven to benefit human health, contribute lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase local procurement, be culturally appropriate, and reduce animal suffering and loss of lives. Taken together, these foods could be promoted as a more sustainable diet. organisations and campaigns designed to educate and transform systems towards more sustainable, planet-friendly food services are currently under-researched. We examine their messages, the means, and methods of conducting their work and assessing their impacts and consider leverage points for systems change. In the discussion of findings, we identify points of contention and divergence, uncovering potential challenges and practical strategies, and areas for further research.