The Fate of Local Food Systems in the Global Industrialization Market: Food and Social Justice in the Rural South

This paper investigates the connection between local food systems, health disparities, and social justice in the rural South. It begins with the relationship between food insecurity and health disparities that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations, and non-minority women and children. First, we discuss the concept of health disparities within the context of bioethics and public health ethics in order to explore the link between the food system and health as a social justice issue. Second, we define health disparities and discuss how they have historically plagued and disadvantaged racial minority populations. Third, we examine these disparities within the context of the structure of the food system and the related social justice issues. We conclude that food insecurity in the rural south is ethically unacceptable because it harms the disadvantaged populations living in these areas. It worsens their vulnerability, truncates their flourishing, and makes their optimal health a mirage

The Real Wisconsin Idea: The Seven Pillars of Van Rensselaer Potter’s Bioethics

Mindful of how the history of bioethics has often been presented, we explore the background, contributions, and influence of Van Rensselaer Potter (1911–2011) on the roots of bioethics. In the last few decades, dozens of papers have been written and published, including several doctoral theses and defenses on V. R. Potter‘s concept of bioethics. In those works, the context of the emergence of Potter’s bioethics has sometimes been suggested, but never analyzed thoroughly. We identify seven pillars of influence for Van Rensselaer Potter’s bioethical credo, drawing on several facts from the rich cultural heritage of Wisconsin, where Potter had lived and worked for the most part of his life

Chapter 6. From integrative bioethics to integrative bioethics: European and American perspectives

Integrative bioethics is still a developing concept. Until recently, it has been separately coined and developed in different parts of the world (Croatia and USA), combining different footholds and aims, facing different problems, finally, lacking mutual interrelations. The first step in the research of both concepts started recently, when the conference on Integrative thinking and new knowledge paradigm was organized by Croatian Philosophical Society, and held in Zagreb (Croatia), 28 – 30 November 2013. The aim of this article is to make coherent analysis of the two integrative bioethics conceptions present today in bioethical literature in order to find and compare terms and conditions of their appearance, highlight their differences and similarities, and identify any binding elements between them. The very roots of integrative bioethics traditon in Europe started in Croatia, as early as in 2004. Croatia belongs to South-East Europe which in the last few decades has faced changes of political and social systems after war, and Yugoslavia’s break down in early 1990’s. The main bioethics tradition in Croatia is now entering forth decade, originating from middle 1980’s and early 1990’s: having roots in catholic moral theology (Pozaić, 1984a; Pozaić, 1984b; Pozaić, 1985a; Pozaić 1985b; Pozaić, 1985c; Pozaić, 1987) and law and human rights tradition (Hlača, 1990a, Hlača 1990b; Hlača, 1993), accompanied with western influences (second East-West Bioethics Conference which was organized in Dubrovnik by Hasting Center in 1990, long tradition of UNESCO Human Right..

The Fate of Local Food Systems in the Global Industrialization Market: Food and Social Justice in the Rural South

This paper investigates the connection between local food systems, health disparities, and social justice in the rural South. It begins with the relationship between food insecurity and health disparities that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations, and non-minority women and children. First, we discuss the concept of health disparities within the context of bioethics and public health ethics in order to explore the link between the food system and health as a social justice issue. Second, we define health disparities and discuss how they have historically plagued and disadvantaged racial minority populations. Third, we examine these disparities within the context of the structure of the food system and the related social justice issues. We conclude that food insecurity in the rural south is ethically unacceptable because it harms the disadvantaged populations living in these areas. It worsens their vulnerability, truncates their flourishing, and makes their optimal health a mirage