Food Ethics (eBook)

Contents 6
About the Authors 8
Contributors 12
Abbreviations 14
1 Introduction: Food Ethics in a Globalized World Reality and Utopia 17
1.1 Food Ethics and Reality 18
1.2 Food Ethics and Utopia 22
1.3 Reason Justice as Common Principle for Reality and Utopia 28
References 29
Part I Food, Consumers, and Policy 31
2 The Ethical Matrix as a Tool in Policy Interventions:The Obesity Crisis 32
2.1 Introduction 32
2.2 Obesity in the UK 35
2.3 An Ethical Approach to Policy Decisions 36
2.4 Impacts on Policy Formulation 39
2.5 Deciding on Ethical Policies 40
2.6 Conclusions 42
References 43
3 Ethical Traceability for Improved Transparencyin the Food Chain 45
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 The Use of Traceability in Contemporary Food Chains 46
3.3 Traceability and Food Ethics 48
3.4 Informed Food Choice 50
3.5 Ethical Traceability in Practice 52
3.6 Survey Results 55
3.7 The Future of Ethical Traceability 58
References 59
Part II GM-Food Production 60
4 Ethics and Genetically Modified Foods 61
4.1 Introduction 61
4.2 Ethical Responsibilities of Scientists 62
4.3 A Method for Addressing Ethical Issues 63
4.4 Ethical Issues Involved in the Use of Genetic Technology in Agriculture 64
4.4.1 To Engage in ag Biotech Is to Play God 66
4.4.2 To Engage in ag Biotech Is to Invent World-Changing Technology, an Activity that Should Be Reserved to God Alone 67
4.4.3 To Engage in ag Biotech Is Illegitimately to Cross Species Boundaries 67
4.4.4 To Engage in ag Biotech Is to Commodify Life 68
4.5 Why Are We Careful with GM Foods? 69
4.6 The Precautionary Principle 73
4.7 Religion and Ethics 75
4.8 Minority Views 76
4.9 Conclusion 76
References 78
5 Responsible Agro-Food Biotechnology: Precaution as Public Reflexivity and Ongoing Engagement in the Service of Sustainable Development 79
5.1 The Public Debate on Agro-Food Biotechnology 79
5.1.1 A Short Historical Reconstruction 80
5.1.2 An Inadequate European Regulatory Response 82
5.2 Precaution in European Regulatory Texts and Practices 82
5.2.1 European Regulation… 82
5.2.2 And Hazy Compliance 84
5.3 Precaution and Sustainable Development 85
5.3.1 Precaution Lost Its Orientation 86
5.3.2 Re-linking Precaution to Sustainable Development 87
5.3.3 Dimensions of a Precautionary Attitude 89
5.3.3.1 A Goal-Oriented Approach 90
5.3.3.2 Collective Engagement 91
5.3.3.3 Projections of the Future 93
5.3.3.4 A Continuous Learning Process 94
5.4 Conclusion 95
References 95
6 Precautionary Approaches to Genetically Modified Organisms and the Need for Biosafety Research 98
6.1 Introduction 98
6.2 The Precautionary Principle: Definitions and Applications 99
6.3 The Precautionary Principle and GMO Research 101
6.3.1 Hypothesis Testing: Type I-Errors Versus Type-II Errors 101
6.3.2 Type-II Errors and Early Warnings 102
6.3.3 Contextualization of the Broader Scientific Uncertainties 102
6.4 Complex Interactions by GMO Use and Release 104
6.5 Scientific Dissent with Regard to Impacts from GMO Use and Release 105
6.6 Normative Concerns with GMOs 107
6.7 Conclusion 108
6.8 Bibliography 108
References 108
7 Biotechnology, Battery Farming and Animal Dignity 111
7.1 The Success of a Concept 111
7.2 The Need for a New Concept 113
7.3 Core Ideas 114
7.4 Integrity 116
7.5 Integrity and Dignity 118
7.6 Intrinsic Value and Dignity 119
7.7 Species and Eidos 120
7.8 Telos? 121
7.9 Treating Animals Adequately 122
References 125
Part III Food, Globalization, and Water 127
8 Agricultural Trade and the Human Right to Food:The Case of Small Rice Producers in Ghana, Honduras, and Indonesia 128
8.1 The Right to Food in Times of Globalization 128
8.2 Rice Trade Liberalization as a Threat to Small Producers 129
8.3 Ghana: Rice Liberalization Under the Auspices of the IMF 131
8.4 Honduras: Natural and Manmade Disasters 134
8.5 Indonesia: The Worlds Third Biggest Rice Market Under Threat 137
8.6 Conclusions of the Case Studies 140
8.7 Perspectives in Times of Food Crisis 141
References 143
9 Hunger, Poverty, and Climate Change: Institutional Approaches, a New Business Alliance, and Civil Courage to Live Up to Ethical Standards 145
9.1 Hunger, Poverty, and Climate Change 145
9.2 Institutional Approaches Toward Sustainable Solutions 147
9.2.1 Voting Rules 150
9.2.2 Participation of Member States in Voting Sessions and the Composition of Delegations 150
9.3 Grameen-Danone A New Business Solution 153
9.4 Subsidiarity and Solidarity as a Social Ethics Principle 154
9.5 Civil Disobedience Or How to Live up to Values, Standards, and Treaties 156
References 159
10 Food Versus Fuel: Governance Potential for Water Rivalry 160
10.1 Introduction 160
10.2 What Is the Global Water Crisis? 161
10.3 Virtual Water: Rethinking a Resource 162
10.4 The Rise of Biofuels 163
10.5 Trade and the Distribution of Biofuels and Water 165
10.6 The Role Virtual Water Can Play in International Biofuels Policy 167
10.7 Conclusion 170
References 171
11 Whose Nature Whose Water? Some Remarks About the History of Ideas, Property and Democracy of Water 174
11.1 Introduction 174
11.2 John Locke His Ideas About Nature, Labour and Private Property 176
11.3 The Tragedy of the Commons and Water as a Global Public Good 177
11.4 Water Conflicts and Principles of Water Democracy 182
11.5 Conclusion 188
References 189
12 Towards a New Architecture of Agricultural Trade in the World Market 191
12.1 Enlarging National Policy Space 191
12.2 For the Sake of Livelihood Security 192
12.3 For the Sake of Sustainability 193
12.4 Investing in Multi-Functionality 195
12.5 Policy Frameworks for Sustainable Family Farming 197
12.6 Tight Conditions on Direct Payments 199
12.7 Support Without Dumping 199
12.8 Stabilizing Prices to Protect Farming Livelihoods 201
12.9 A Cooperative Mechanism for Balancing the World Market Supply 201
12.10 Setting Standards for Quality Trade 202
12.11 Sustainability Process and Production Standards 203
12.12 Qualified Market Access 204
12.13 Conclusion: Towards a Post-WTO Architecture of Agricultural Trade 206
References 208
13 Epilogue: The Schweisfurth Foundation A German Food-Ethics-Platform 210
Index 213