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.Extreme pressure to show a profit 2.No board oversight on management 3.Too much competition that it is unhealthy 4.Business is too complex for a lay board 5.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% – Neighbors31 – Local Merchants36 – Local Agribusiness 37 – Lenders41 – Farmers45 – Youth and young adults68 – Local elected officials70 – Elected state officials72

The Six Pillars of Character (Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions) 1. Kepercayaan: a.Kejujuran b.Keadaan yg sebenarnya (apa adanya) c.Ketulusan d.Keterus-terangan e.Kejujuran dalam berkarya f.Integritas g.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”

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?” Some guides to determine if an action is ethical

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.Stop and think 2.Clarify goals 3.Determine Facts 4.Develop options 5.Consider consequences 6.Choose 7.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.Where people no longer trust each other 2.Where extreme individualism is primary 3.Where people no longer know each other 4.With diminished respect, trust and cooperation, there are calls for regulations to monitor or regulate behaviors/actions

Gejala “Distrust” dalam Pertanian 1.Legal representation 2.Formalized contracts 3.Fear of Liability—liability insurance 4.Less personal contact—fear of strangers 5.Formal communication 6.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.

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