Aims and scope
Food Ethics is a global trans-, multi- and interdisciplinary, as well as non-partisan and cross-cultural forum for academic discussions on food ethics. Thematically, the journal spans the whole value chain from producer to consumer, including important agents such as processing industry and retailers. It covers all aspects related to the production and consumption of human food, and it has a focus on the utilization of seafood, crops and plants, and animals. Environmental issues such as the sustainable use of land areas and the natural resources, e.g. freshwater, are included in the thematic focus, and special attention is given to the development and use of modern technology, e.g. biotechnology, as a way to improve global food security. Attention is also paid to issues like animal welfare and fair trade, as well as just and democratic governance of the value chains. Food security, food safety and sovereignty, rights and responsibilities, as well as cultural determinants and frameworks of understanding food are natural thematic focal points.
Contributions are encouraged from a wide range of fields of scholarly research such as natural science, health and medicine, veterinary science, social sciences, business administration, law, philosophy, economics, ecology, history, and ethics. However, all published contributions need to make the ethical issues and value aspects that are at stake in the work explicit. Working out the ethical dilemmas involved, describing the inherent value conflicts, analysing normative guidance for policy and management, and pointing to consequences of changing the range of objects with considerable moral standing, are all possible ways to address ethical issues related to food. Critical, normative and descriptive analyses and contributions that relate to training and teaching of food ethics are welcome.
Food Ethics publishes the following types of papers: Editorials (including obituaries), Research articles, Conceptual articles, Discussion papers (including papers on methodology), State-of-the-art reviews, Brief Communications, Short Policy Briefs, Letters to the Editor, and Book Reviews. For more details, consult our submission guidelines.
Type of paper:
Editorial (including obituaries) - At the discretion of the EiC. Occasionally the journal will publish Editorials. These contributions will discuss or introduce any topic which the Editor-in-Chief, a member of the Editorial Board, or invited Special Issue editor finds of special relevance to the Food Ethics readership. Sometimes an Editorial may introduce the topic of a special issue / collection of articles. While editorials in general will not be peer-reviewed, the EiC may ask others, e.g. from the Editorial Board, to critically review the Editorial. Editorials are written by the EiC, or upon invitation from the EiC by members of the Editorial Board or a Special Issue Editor. Obituaries about people who have been central in the field of food ethics can also be published.
Research article Double-blind peer review - Research articles present original empirical research on the basis of data which are presented in the paper, and analysed with an appropriate method. The topic of the research article should be relevant to the field of food ethics. The minimum length of the paper is approx. 5000 words, while the maximum length is approx. 15000 words. A typical recommended length is between 10000 and 12000 words. Only in rare exceptions can papers be granted a greater length. The empirical findings need to be contextualised within an ethical or value-based framework. - A research article is peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers, occasionally by three or more reviewers.
Conceptual articles - Double-blind peer review - A conceptual article presents arguments and analyses of a theme within food ethics based on current or past contributions and deliberations from philosophy, ethics, law, or theology. Some papers may also discuss foundational issues or terms in scientific theories, like e.g. sustainability or resilience, and what bearing they have on food ethics. Balanced argumentation is the decisive mark of all such papers. A typical recommended length is between 10000 and 12000 words. – Conceptual articles are peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers, occasionally by three or more reviewers.
Discussion papers (including methodological papers) Double-blind peer review - Discussion papers are among the key contributions in Food Ethics. Typically, they contextualise issues in food ethics, or relate to current trends / ideas which have a bearing on food ethics. Some discussion papers may take up methodological issues, for instance from practical ethics or transdisciplinary research, and aim for critical or novel approaches to study themes in food ethics. The maximum length is 12000 words, while the typical length is between 5000 and 10000 words. Discussion papers are peer-reviewed with a view to their merits as thought-provoking essays that are relevant to ongoing trends, or that may stimulate new discussions and novel societal deliberations. However, academic quality criteria such as consistency, coherence, argumentative strength, and originality still apply, while not excluding subjective statements or normative appeals.
State-of-the-Art-Reviews - Double-blind peer review - State-of-the-Art-Reviews provide an informative and balanced overview over a sub-theme or specific discussion within food ethics. They need to scan the most salient literature over a defined time-period, and present the flow of argumentation between different contributions. A well-balanced presentation of diverse positions and contributions is the main good-making feature of these review papers. A very comprehensive and informative list of references is always required. A typical length is between 8000 and 12000 words. Contributions within this category are often on the basis of an invitation from the EiC.
Brief Communications - Double-blind review plus editorial review - A Brief Communication is an article of not more than approx. 2500 words which reports on new or ongoing research, sometimes also on results of conferences or workshops, which are deemed by the EiC to be of great importance to the readership of Food Ethics. Transparency and traceability of the reported event or research is important. Editorial review will in all cases supplement one or two non-editorial reviews.
Short Policy Briefs - Double-blind review plus editorial review - Short Policy Briefs address policy- and decision-makers directly. It is crucial that they are explicit about level and scope of decision-making. The (research) background for the policy recommendations needs to be clearly referenced. Clear language, avoidance of jargon, and action-orientation is expected. The typical length is between 1500 and 2500 words. Editorial review will in all cases supplement one or two non-editorial reviews.
Letters to the Editor - At the discretion of the EiC - Letters to the Editor are short contributions of up to 1500, max. 2000 words. A Letter to the Editor draws attention to a major problem in the field of food ethics, provides a short refutation or correction of claims made in earlier publication in Food Ethics, or comments on current trends in (science-) policy which impact negatively on responsible research and innovation in the fields targeted by Food Ethics. Letters do not need extensive references, but include only those which are central for the claim.
Book Reviews - Editorial review Book reviews are typically invited contributions, initiated by the Review Editor, or by the EiC. The review editor is responsible for the review of the contributions. Everyone, including publishers and authors of books, is welcome to propose a book review to the journal. The review itself should, however, not be submitted without invitation from the Review Editor. A typical book review is approx. 1500-3000 words.