The Myths of Local Food Policy: Lessons from the economic and social history of the food system

From bankrupt vertical farms and backyard chickens ending up at animal shelters to community-supported agriculture participants suffering from “supermarket withdrawal syndrome” and leafy vegetables that only upper-middle-class consumers can afford, the preferred approaches of local food activists have proven to be inferior alternatives to those delivered by our global food supply chain.

Prof. Desrochers will explain how the movement to re-regionalize our food system essentially recreates the problems once solved by the development of modern agricultural production technologies and of long-distance transportation. If they have their way, locavores will ensure that our food supply will become less secure, more expensive, more environmentally damaging, and more hazardous to our health than is presently the case.

Ethics for Business? How to be profitable and moral

Ethics and profit-making are commonly viewed as at odds. According to conventional thought, businesses either maximize profits and necessarily compromise on ethics, or necessarily sacrifice profits to be moral. This is a false dichotomy. Obviously, making profits through immoral means—such as deceiving investors or customers—is not sustainable. Likewise, holding onto many conventional moral principles while losing money will cause a business to fail. Woiceshyn explains how businesses and businesspeople can be both profitable and moral, and how, in fact, long-term profitability and career success require morality. She offers rational egoism as an alternative moral code that guides ethical profit maximization. Through various business examples, she shows how to apply principles such as rationality, productiveness, honesty, justice, and pride for long-term success. Dr. Woiceshyn also shows what social conditions are required for businesses to flourish—ensuring prosperity for all.