Robert Magneson Chiles

My scholarship involves three related themes: (a) how food culture, ethical beliefs, and political-economic institutions are intertwined, (b) the methods and social processes by which agricultural science and technology is performed, and (c) the development of novel, interdisciplinary, and impactful solutions to food system challenges and controversies. Specific research projects include: alternative economic platforms for cellular agriculture; plant-based proteins for healthy meal options; greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture; consumer and industry reactions to food system controversies; animals and international development ethics; sustainable and profitable land-use options for farmers; agribusiness-university partnerships and corporate social responsibility; reconceptualizing food “waste”; qualitative research ethics in the big data era; the bioethics of gene editing; and global foodservice ethics.

The overarching objective of my work is to empower scholars, students, policymakers, and other stakeholders to make sociologically and ethically informed decisions about food and agriculture.