Matthew Halteman on Ethical Food Choices

Flanigan's Eco-Logic

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Matthew Halteman, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and fellow in the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK. He is the author of the just-released Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan, as well as Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation, and the co-editor of Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments About the Ethics of Eating.

Matt has focused his career on ethical food choices, and how that all fits in with the path to sustainable living. He and Ted discuss his new book, and how he aims to shift how people view the process of going vegan, framing it as a joyful opportunity rather than an obligation. He views it as an incremental journey rather than an identity earned by perfection.

He points out that veganism is aspirational, and something to continually strive towards. He also considers how one can live out going vegan in realistic and adaptable ways, giving advice particularly to college students. He encourages them to work towards the end goal of a vegan life, while accommodating the limitations of prepaid meal plans that may not prioritize a wide array of vegan options. He suggests these students can be preparing for more intentional dietary changes for when they have more food autonomy.

He concludes by drawing similarities between his theory of change, and EcoMotion's philosophy of "The Power of the Increment." He encourages his readers to take small steps that move them in the direction toward veganism, refusing to expect perfection or judgement when falling short based on access or circumstance, especially when there is continual striving and incremental growth in that direction.