Marie Leth
About Marie Leth
My research is situated in the intersection between the sociology of human–animal relations, environmental STS, and moral sociology, with a particular focus on the ethical and ecological issues tied to agricultural and food production. In particular, I examine questions related to how animals are made into consumable objects in today’s industrial food production, and how we negotiate our ethical obligations to care for animals at a societal level.
Another part of my research concerns agricultural critique and moral–ecological engagement, including how civil society seeks to develop alternative and more caring ways of managing our shared, more‑than‑human conditions of life in relation to food production. This includes nature‑friendly agriculture with a focus on small‑scale farming, life in rural areas, and the future role of domesticated animals in agriculture.
In my current research project “Toward a plant-based future?”, funded by FORMAS, I investigate the emergence of plant‑based visions for a sustainable transformation of food production and agriculture, as well as the relationship between civil society visions and policy development.
Primary research areas
· Sociology of human–animal relations; Critical Animal Studies
· Multispecies ethnography
· Feminist care ethics and ecofeminist theory
· Environmental STS, environmental sociology
· Pragmatic sociology, moral sociology
· Sociology of law
Empirical sites
· Plant‑based visions and policy
· Alternative agriculture, rural movements
· Farmed animal sanctuaries
· Veterinary expertise and care
· Meat‑eating, New Carnivorism
· Anti‑cruelty reform
I am affiliated with the Lund University Critical Animal Studies Network (LUCASN) – a platform and interdisciplinary research environment for scholars and students interested in critical animal studies.