Abstract
Agricultural production in the western world in our time is primarily agribusiness. As such, a business ethics approach can be extended to agricultural production. Given the nature of the agricultural production system, however, not only are general principles for business ethics applicable, but more specific obligations need to be generated. A social contract approach such as Donaldson's, with modifications, serves to provide both the general principles for the ethical practice of agribusiness, as well as more specific obligations for agents in the production system. An analysis of three cases is offered in order to highlight ethical issues particular to agribusiness, as well as to provide content for the principles which the social contract view regarding agribusiness can be seen to generate.
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Jeffrey Burkhardt is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Florida. He won the NSF-EVIST grant in 1983. His most recent publications are: ‘Business Ethics: Ideology or Utopia?’ Metaphilosophy (July, 1985); ‘What do We Mean by Asking Whether Economics is a Science?’ in Why Economics is Not Yet a Science, ed. A Eichner (M. E. Sharpe, 1983); and ‘Review of The Bureaucratization of Socialism by D. L. Hodges’ Dialogue, Canadian Philosophical Review (1982).
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Burkhardt, J. Agribusiness ethics: Specifying the terms of the contract. J Bus Ethics 5, 333–345 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383101
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383101