Heavy Table food editor James Norton joins the Current's Morning Show to talk about the local food scene.

Today on The Morning Show's Eating and Drinking, James Norton chatted with Jill Riley about the concept of "ethical eating." This week, The Heavy Table is relaunching its Atlas of Ethical Eating and Drinking. Trying to quantify such concepts as "fair trade", "living wages" and "sustainability" is always an interesting discussion in the context of local food. "There's a lot of people doing it right," Norton says. "People are interested in having this conversation."

Although Heavy Table's Atlas of Ethical Eating and Drinking is not intended to be a definitive guide, Norton says it is intended as a conversation starter. For a lot of restaurants, ethical questions are complicated ones. "A lot of times [they're] making a decisions that will hurt [them] in dollars and cents, but will enhance [their] reputations," Norton says.

Some of the places that scored well on the ethical questionnaire include Heartland Restaurant, Seward Co-op and Trotter's Café.

More than a survey for business owners, Norton says the Atlas of Ethical Eating and Drinking also raises the question, "as a consumer, what do you value?"

Listen to James' and Jill's full conversation by clicking the audio player above.

James Norton edits the Upper Midwestern food journal, Heavy Table. He's also the co-author of a book on Wisconsin's master cheesemakers and editor of The Secret Atlas of North Coast Food.

Related

• Eating and Drinking with James Norton: Farm to Table
• The Heavy Table