Applied Ethics
in Agriculture
Paul Lasley and Arne Hallam
Fall, 2003
“Character is not the same thing as
reputation.
Character is what you are.
Reputation is what people say you are.”
Josephson, 2002 .
Why we got involved in the study of ethics in
agriculture
1. About 10 years ago Phil Baumel and Paul
Lasley began a series of studies that focused
on ethics within farm cooperatives
2. Grant from Farmers Cooperative Service
3. Findings from the Iowa Farm and Rural Life
Poll
What do you suppose coop managers and
board members told us about ethics
in agriculture?
Cooperative Managers and Board Members
Identified Several Areas of Ethical Concern
1. Shirking responsibilities
2. Business dealings with friends, relatives, or
competitors
3. Sales incentives
4. Pricing policies
5. Illegal Practices.
Reasons given for unethical behavior
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extreme pressure to show a profit
No board oversight on management
Too much competition that it is unhealthy
Business is too complex for a lay board
Fewer farmers, greater business, more incentive to
retain them as members
6. Young farmers lack appreciation of cooperatives
7. Tough economic times on the farm contributed to
erosion in ethical standards.
What Iowa Farmers Told Us
1. At one time a person’s word was as
good as a signed contract; now you
must get it in writing.
(93% somewhat or strongly agreed)
2. In general, ethical standards in society
have declined. (87% agreed)
What farmers told us
1. I used to take a persons’ word as measure of
his/her honor, but now-a-days you can’t always
simply accept what a person tells you. (85%
agreed).
2. One reason ethical standards have declined is that
people have lost respect for authority. (70%
agreed)
3. Often people admit they are not being ethical in
paying the full amount of their taxes. (49%
agreed).
Apa yang diceriterakan oleh petani?
1. Even among friends and neighbors, I am
concerned that they no longer feel obliged
to honor their word.
2. Farmer’s ethical standards have declined.
Bagaimana Etika Berubah?
– % Decline in past 10 years
– Clergy
24%
– Neighbors
31
– Local Merchants
36
– Local Agribusiness
37
– Lenders
41
– Farmers
45
– Youth and young adults
68
– Local elected officials
70
– Elected state officials
72
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Kepercayaan:
Kejujuran
Keadaan yg sebenarnya (apa adanya)
Ketulusan
Keterus-terangan
Kejujuran dalam berkarya
Integritas
Relabilitas.
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
2.. Respect
– Civility, courtesy, and decency
– Dignity and autonomy
– Tolerance and acceptance
3.. Responsibility
– Accountability
– Pursuit of Excellence
– Self Restraint
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
4.. Fairness
– Process
– Impartiality
– Equity
5.. Caring
6.. Citizenship
Some guides to determine if an action is
ethical
1. The Golden Rule, “you act in a way that you
would expect others to act toward you”
2. The Professional Ethic, “You take only those
actions that would be viewed as proper by
an objective panel of your professional
peers”
Some guides to determine if an action is
ethical
3. Kant’s Categorical Imperative, “Ask yourself, “What
if everyone behaved this way?”
4. Child on Your Shoulder, “Would you proudly make
the same decision if your young child were
witnessing your choice?”
5. TV Test, Could you explain and justify your actions
to general television audience?”
6. The Des Moines Register Test, “Would you like your
friends and neighbors to read about this?”
Empat Pertanyaan Sederhana
1. Could you or someone else suffer physical
harm?
2. Could you or someone else suffer emotional
pain?
3. Could the decision hurt your reputation,
undermine your credibility, or damage
important relationships?
4. Could the decision impede the achievement
of any important goal?
Tujuh Tahapan
menuju Keputusan yang lebih baik
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Stop and think
Clarify goals
Determine Facts
Develop options
Consider consequences
Choose
Monitor and Modify.
Apa yang terjadi bila tidak ada kepatuhan
terhadap kode etik??
1. People begin to “cut corners”
Most unethical and illegal activities start small
2. Rationale or justifications often include,
everyone else is doing it
3. Erosion in ethics brings about greater
regulation because trust has been violated
4. Rules, regulations and laws reflect the
formalization of ethics
Erosi Etika = Distrustful Culture
1.
2.
3.
4.
Where people no longer trust each other
Where extreme individualism is primary
Where people no longer know each other
With diminished respect, trust and
cooperation, there are calls for regulations
to monitor or regulate behaviors/actions
Gejala “Distrust” dalam Pertanian
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Legal representation
Formalized contracts
Fear of Liability—liability insurance
Less personal contact—fear of strangers
Formal communication
Suspiciousness
Perlunya Etika dalamPertanian
1. What would a professional code of ethics in
farming look like?
2. Who should take the lead in drafting such a
document, and how it could be used?
Perlunya Kode-Etik dalam Pertanian
1. Evidence is there has been an erosion in
ethics
2. The erosion in ethics has contributed to loss
of trust, and consumer confidence, and calls
for more regulations.
3. A code of ethics might restore confidence
and farming could be viewed a leader in
pursuing higher ethical standard.
Let’s get started