- "Environmental ethics is an established field of practical philosophy... Ethics exerts influence on a large range of disciplines including environmental law, environmental sociology, ecotheology, ecological economics, ecology and environmental geography."
This subfield deals with ethical issues related to the production of food, including environmental concerns, animal welfare, and sustainability.
Ethics: The branch of philosophy that deals with what is morally right or wrong. It is an essential concept in understanding agricultural ethics.
Agricultural Practices: The methods used to cultivate crops, raise animals, or create food products. Understanding these practices is crucial for developing ethical considerations in agriculture.
Sustainability: The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is a central issue in agricultural ethics.
Biotechnology: The use of technology to modify plants or animals for food production. This topic raises many ethical concerns.
Animal Welfare: The concern for the wellbeing of animals used in agriculture, including their living conditions, treatment, and potential for physical or emotional suffering.
Food Safety: The measures taken to ensure that food is healthy, nutritious, and free of contaminants.
Land Use: The ways in which land is used for agricultural purposes and how it affects the environment, biodiversity, and other societal concerns.
Social Justice: The fair distribution of resources, opportunities, and benefits, particularly with regards to access to food and sustainable agricultural practices.
Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of countries and economies, particularly in relation to agricultural trade and production.
Policy and Regulation: The laws, regulations, and policies governing agricultural practices and their ethical implications.
Food Sovereignty: The right of communities and individuals to control their own food systems and make decisions about what kinds of agriculture best serves their needs.
Environmental Ethics: The philosophical considerations surrounding our relationship to the natural world and the ways in which we interact with it through agriculture.
Indigenous Knowledge and Practices: The traditional agricultural knowledge and practices of indigenous communities, which often contain valuable insights into sustainable agriculture.
Consumer Ethics: The ethical considerations involved in how individuals make choices about what food they consume, and how their choices impact the environment, health, and social justice concerns.
Anthropocentric ethics: This approach focuses on human needs and interests as the primary consideration in agricultural practices. It prioritizes economic efficiency, productivity, and the provision of affordable food for humans.
Ecocentric ethics: This perspective places equal moral weight on all elements of the ecosystem, including non-human animals, plants, and the environment. It argues that agriculture should prioritize sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and ecological balance.
Animal rights ethics: This type of ethics values the intrinsic worth of animals and advocates for their rights to be free from exploitation and harm. It is concerned with the use of animals in agriculture, such as their living conditions, treatment, and killing methods.
Food justice ethics: This approach highlights the social and economic aspects of food systems, specifically inequalities in access, distribution, and production of food. It advocates for fair and equitable food policies that prioritize the needs of marginalized and low-income populations.
Organic farming ethics: This type of ethics promotes the use of sustainable and natural farming practices that avoid synthetic inputs, chemical pesticides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and safe food production.
Biodynamic farming ethics: This approach incorporates spiritual and holistic principles into agricultural practices, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all aspects of the ecosystem. It involves practices such as lunar planting cycles, composting, and the use of herbal preparations to enhance soil fertility.
Permaculture ethics: This type of ethics advocates for the development of self-sufficient and sustainable agricultural systems that mimic natural ecosystems. It emphasizes design principles such as diversity, integration, and community building.
Slow food ethics: This approach values the cultural and sensory aspects of food production and consumption, emphasizing the importance of eating locally, seasonally, and mindfully. It seeks to preserve traditional food cultures, artisanal food production, and the enjoyment of food as a social and cultural experience.
Vegan ethics: This perspective advocates for a plant-based diet and opposes the use of animals in food production. It is concerned with the cruelty and exploitation of animals and the environmental impacts of animal agriculture.
Agroecology ethics: This type of ethics promotes the integration of ecological, social, and economic principles into farming practices. It seeks to increase productivity and resilience while reducing the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment and society.
- "The main competing paradigms are anthropocentrism, physiocentrism (called ecocentrism as well), and theocentrism."
- "These decisions raise numerous questions."
- "Should humans continue to clear cut forests for the sake of human consumption?"
- "Why should humans continue to propagate its species, and life itself?"
- "Should humans continue to make gasoline-powered vehicles?"
- "What environmental obligations do humans need to keep for future generations?"
- "Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of a species for the convenience of humanity?"
- "How should humans best use and conserve the space environment to secure and expand life?"
- "What role can Planetary Boundaries play in reshaping the human-earth relationship?"
- "The academic field of environmental ethics grew up in response to the works of Rachel Carson and Murray Bookchin and events such as the first Earth Day in 1970..."
- "Two papers published in Science had a crucial impact: Lynn White's 'The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis'... and Garrett Hardin's 'The Tragedy of the Commons'..."
- "An essay by Aldo Leopold in his A Sand County Almanac, called 'The Land Ethic,' in which Leopold explicitly claimed that the roots of the ecological crisis were philosophical."
- "The first international academic journals in this field emerged from North America in the late 1970s and early 1980s..."
- "The US-based journal Environmental Ethics in 1979..."
- "The Canadian-based journal The Trumpeter: Journal of Ecosophy in 1983."
- "The first British-based journal of this kind, Environmental Values, was launched in 1992."